Schedule and Preview Indian Wells Open 2025 Day Five Sunday March 9 including Swiatek, Medvedev, Andreeva and Rybakina

The schedule for Day Five at the Indian Wells Open has been confirmed, set for Sunday, March 9, marking the start of the third round and the return of top stars, including Iga Swiatek, Daniil Medvedev, Mirra Andreeva, Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, and Matteo Berrettini – Stefanos Tsitsipas.

With the opening day of the third round, the top half of the men's draw looks more open following the exits of top seeds Alexander Zverev (1st) and Casper Ruud (4th). However, Tommy Paul, Holger Rune, Frances Tiafoe, and Matteo Berrettini are among those who could take advantage and push for the later rounds of the tournament.

The action kicks off with defending champion Iga Swiatek, who made an impressive debut by crushing Caroline Garcia 6-2, 6-0. The Pole will face the talented Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska, who defeated Swiatek early in her WTA career back in 2019. However, the five-time Grand Slam champion got her revenge at the recent Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, winning 7-5, 6-0. This time, conditions favor Swiatek even more, making her the strong favorite to extend her winning streak in Tennis Paradise.

Next up is one of the marquee matches of the day, featuring eighth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas against 28th seed Matteo Berrettini. A high-quality clash that could easily be a final-round encounter at any major tournament. Tsitsipas is riding a six-match winning streak and recently claimed the title in Dubai, but Berrettini has the weapons to challenge him, having shown great form and securing a recent win over Novak Djokovic.

Daniil Medvedev (5th) faces a tough test against 31st seed Alex Michelsen in the third round. The two-time Indian Wells finalist has not been at his best and admitted that, despite the court surface changes, he still struggles with the slow conditions. He breezed past Yunchaokete (6-2, 6-2) in his opener, but Michelsen presents a bigger challenge. The young American stunned Tsitsipas at the Australian Open and has been displaying increasingly solid performances on tour.

The night session will feature a rematch of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships final, where Mirra Andreeva claimed her maiden WTA 1000 title against Clara Tauson (7-6, 6-1). Both players have been in top form this season, setting up an intriguing matchup. The slower conditions could favor Andreeva, but the Dane has already proven that her game is much more than just serve and power.

American No. 2 Tommy Paul takes on 2021 Indian Wells champion Cameron Norrie. Though Norrie is far from his peak form, he remains a dangerous opponent for anyone. Paul recently broke into the top 10 and has played at that level consistently. With an 11-3 record this season, he's eyeing another deep run, and with the draw opening up, he could be a strong contender. The American is the favorite but faces one of the toughest unseeded opponents.

2023 champion Elena Rybakina (7th) returns to the court against British No. 1 Katie Boulter. When the Kazakh is in form, only a handful of players can challenge her. She holds a 14-5 record this season, with three of her losses coming against tournament champions (Keys, Bencic, Andreeva) and the other two against Swiatek. Boulter (25th seed) admitted after her second-round win that she has nothing to lose, as Rybakina is the clear favorite. However, the Kazakh must prove she has what it takes to fight for the title.

Other key matches on Stadium 2 include fourth seed Jessica Pegula against Xinyu Wang and a battle between 20th seed Arthur Fils and 15th seed Lorenzo Musetti. The day's action will conclude with China's Zheng Qinwen, who secured her first win of the season against Victoria Azarenka but is in desperate need of more victories. Lulu Sun is far from an ideal opponent, as the New Zealander already shocked her in the first round of Wimbledon. A tough test awaits Zheng, making this match a crucial indicator of her current form.