Indian Wells Tennis 2016: TV Schedule, Live Stream and Finals Predictions

Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams are the big favourites to grasp glory at Indian Wells on Sunday, as they face Milos Raonic and Victoria Azarenka in their singles finals, respectively.

Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal in the semi-final and has never lost to the Canadian Raonic in his career. Williams has yet to drop a set at this event and will fancy her chances against the 13th seed, who had to battle hard to beat Karolina Pliskova in three sets in the last four. 

Here are the key viewing details for what should be a couple of brilliant matches and a look ahead to how each of these clashes will pan out.

Time (ET)	Player 1		Player 2
2 p.m.	Serena Williams (1)	vs.	Victoria Azarenka (13)
4 p.m.	Novak Djokovic (1)	vs.	Milos Raonic (12)

TV Info: ESPN (US), Sky Sports 2 (UK)

Live Stream: ESPN Player (US), Sky Go (UK)

Djokovic vs. Raonic

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Seeking to win this competition for the third year in a row, Djokovic has been imperious on his way to another final.

The top seed and world No. 1 has only dropped one set at the tournament and reserved his best tennis for a semi-final masterclass against Nadal. The determined Serb was a 7-6 (5), 6-2 victor and although the Spaniard has been in much better form as of late, Djokovic is proving to be an indomitable opponent. 

As Ben Rothenberg of the New York Times noted during that tussle, Djokovic just seems to find a way of getting through key moments:

Raonic has a massive challenge on his hands here. The Canadian has been in excellent form himself as of late and has disposed of some strong opponents on his way to the last two, including Tomas Berdych, Gael Monfils and David Goffin. But the man across the net from him on Sunday is a much more fearsome proposition.

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Still, it’s clear the Canadian is a popular figure with the California crowd, per the tournament’s official Twitter feed:

As the underdog the supporters will get behind Raonic, who has arguably been the second-best player in the world behind Djokovic this season with 14 wins and just one loss. That should give him a boost and allow him to take a set in this final.

Over the course of the contest the power, grace and determination of Djokovic will come through, though. The reigning champion has won all five of the meetings between the two and it’d be a major surprise if that record didn’t continue at Indian Wells. 

Prediction: Djokovic in three sets

Williams vs. Azarenka

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Williams is also on the hunt for her third win at Indian Wells, and having knocked out reigning champion Simona Halep on her way to the last two, she will be pretty confident against Azarenka in the final.

Getting to this stage of a competition is nothing new for the top seed either. As BBC Sport noted, the 21-time Grand Slam champion has now featured in a remarkable amount of finals:

Azarenka is no slouch herself, though. The former world No. 1 hasn’t been at full tilt lately, yet she has found some form at a perfect time at this tournament. She’s showcased different sides to her play too; in the quarter-finals she secured a stunning 6-0, 6-0 win over Magdalena Rybarikova, before digging deep to win a thriller with Pliskova in the semis.

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Williams, of course, is a different matter altogether. Nevertheless, it’s a challenge the Belarusian has said she is looking forward to, per the WTA Twitter feed:

The 26-year-old doesn’t have the best record against the veteran, with Williams having won 17 of their 20 meetings in the past. The last time Azarenka did beat the top seed was in a final on a hard court, though, with a victory at the Western & Southern Open in 2013.

The American will be too strong for her game opponent this time. Williams has gradually moved through the gears at this tournament and will feel it’s an event she should have won more than two times in her storied career. Expect her to take a step toward addressing that with a comfortable win over Azarenka on Sunday.

Prediction: Williams in two sets