Improving Thiem can see off Monfils

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6pm Wednesday

Bookmakers have found it difficult to separate Gael Monfils and Dominic Thiem in their Indian Wells Masters showdown but it could pay to side with the improving Austrian Thiem, who was relentless in dispatching Mischa Zverev in the last round.

Thiem, a recent winner of the Rio Open, is yet to taste defeat against Monfils in two attempts. His deciding-set win over the Frenchman in last year’s World Tour Finals in London is a key piece of form that suggests a firing Thiem should come out on top.

The Frenchman’s first serve is still operating at much lower than he’d like and any chinks in his armour should be taken full advantage of by Thiem, who at 23 is still yet to reach his maximum potential.

The Austrian has dropped his serve just once in his opening two matches and with doubts still surrounding the form of Monfils, he can maintain his 100 per cent record over the world number 11.

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