Gael Monfils vs Max Purcell Prediction & Betting Tips - ATP Indian Wells

Prediction published on 06/03/2024, 06:42  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 06/03/2024 at 07:42 in ATP Indian Wells Predictions

Gael Monfils has twice reached the last eight at Indian Wells. He takes on fellow unseeded player Max Purcell in the first round of this outdoor hard court Masters tournament. For the winner there's a tough second round match against eighth seeded Hubert Hurkacz. Monfils is ranked 54th in the world and that's 17 places ahead of his Australian opponent. He's reached one semi-final this year doing so in the hard court event held in Doha. His most recent tournament saw him lose to eventual winner Ugo Humbert in Dubai after beating him the previous week. He's currently 66th in the Live ATP Race, with his opponent just outside the top 100.

Max Purcell leads Gael Monfils 1-0 in previous meetings. That match took place three years ago and was played on a grass court at Eastbourne in England. The Australian was as high as 40th in the rankings last year. 2024 got off to a poor start with two of his first three hard court matches being lost. He reached the second round of the Australian Open but his win came against a player ranked outside the top 200. Only one of his last five matches has been won. His most recent tournament was in Acapulco where he lost in the first round. Purcell won the first set against Frances Tiafoe but only won three games in the next two, all in the second set. We tip Monfils to win this match in straight sets.