ATP #5 and BNP Paribas Open reigning champion Taylor Fritz opened his title defense with a challenging 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over Ben Shelton in which the serve and forehand figured prominently for both players. It was their first career meeting in what has the potential of becoming a long-running rivalry. Meanwhile, #1 seed Carlos Alcaraz returned to big-tournament tennis with a breezy 6-3, 6-3 stroll against Thanasi Kokkinakis. Elsewhere, WTA #1 Iga Swiatek continues to serve up bakery products and #4 seed Ons Jabeur got a win coming back from an injury layoff.
All that and more on today's episode.
Music - "Mettavolution" by Rodrigo y Gabriela.