The 2024 Indian Wells Masters 1000 tournament is off to quite an eventful start. With the first-round encounters done and dusted, we have seen some enticing tennis action over the past few days. One such player who has caught the eyes of the tennis world at the tournament is Borna Coric. After a strong performance in the opening round, the Croatian star takes on Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany next.

While Coric is in the prime phase of his career, Struff, at 33, is nearing his retirement. However, before calling an end to his career, the German star will hope to make it big this year. Let’s find out how the battle might unfold.

Borna Coric vs Jan-Lennard Struff: Preview

Coric has seen massive peaks and troughs this season. While he had a disappointing Australian Open campaign, losing in the first round, Coric came back strongly to have two runners-up finishes, one on the Challenger Tour and the other at Open Sud de France. However, he couldn’t carry his form further and suffered first-round exits in Rotterdam and Dubai.

On the contrary, Jan-Lennard Struff has had a disappointing season so far by his standards. In the five tournaments he has played this year, Struff has managed to win just three matches. If he loses against Coric, it will be a hattrick of losses for Struff, further derailing his season. Thus, he has very little margin for error when he takes on Coric.

Coric vs Struff: Head-to-Head

Although this will be their first meeting in more than four years, Coric and Struff have faced off against each other five times on the tennis court. Their matches have always been keenly fought and the same can be inferred from their head-to-head record, which stands at 3-2 in favor of Struff. Thus, their match at Indian Wells could swing either way.

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Prediction: Coric to win in three sets

Although Struff is the higher-ranked player, he has come into the match in poor form lately. On the contrary, Coric has already opened his campaign in Indian Wells and is well-acclimatized to the courts here. Thus, he is predicted to narrowly edge out Struff in three sets. Their match will take place on Court 7 later today. Who are you rooting for to win this contest? Let us know your views in the comments below.