By Erik Gudris | Sunday, March 16, 2014

 

The BNP Paribas Open serves up two intriguing finals on Sunday with Roger Federer seeking his fifth Indian Wells title.

Photo Credit: AP

This year's BNP Paribas Open continues to prove that the unexpected can happen on a tennis court. Though both the men's and women's finals feature two quality matchups, will we see one more plot twist before the book on Indian Wells is closed for this edition?

Women's Final:
No. 2 seed Agnieszka Radwanska vs. No. 20 seed Flavia Pennetta
Head to Head: Radwanska leads 4-2

Though many expected Radwanska to reach the final, few would have picked the veteran Pennetta to do the same. That includes Pennetta herself who after beating top seed Li Na admitted if one had told her she would make the final, she would have said, "I don't think so."

Pennetta, who made a return from wrist surgery last year, pondered retiring not that long ago. Now she is into the biggest final of her career. Radwanska seeks her third Premier Mandatory title, but this is also her first trip to the Indian Wells final. The Polish "ninja" goes in a slight favorite, but note that Pennetta beat Radwanska in Dubai last month.

Like many matches in the desert over the last two weeks, this one may come down to who handles the wind and doesn't let the unforced errors on their stat sheet overwhelm them. Pennetta continues to do just that in her matches and that's why a win for her wouldn't be a surprise at all.

Pick: Pennetta in Three

Men's Final: No. 2 seed Novak Djokovic vs. No. 7 seed Roger Federer
Head to Head: Federer leads 17-15

This must-see final is already shaping up to be something of a referendum on the early start of the season for both players.

Federer, who has not dropped a set, is on an 11-match win streak and continues to dismiss the notion that his best days are behind him. In recent press, Federer admitted he is feeling much better about his health and is pleased these good results are coming so soon for him. Federer, looking more confident than he did last year, is moving better and closing out his service games on more efficient terms.

Djokovic, on the other hand, continues to struggle with his form as he's posted ragged wins that include dropping sets for no real good reason. The Serbian star confirmed he knows he's not playing his best, but is taking confidence in being able to close out matches anyway. Reaching the final, for him, is already a big success.

But it's the title both men want that will give each momentum moving forward. For Federer, a win is projected to elevate him back to No. 4 in the world and will continue to cement his return to authority on tour. For Djokovic, his first appearance in the winner's circle this season will help quiet some of the ongoing criticism he's faced and prove that he can "win ugly" when needed.

If Djokovic wants that to happen, he'll have to hope that Federer's recent blistering form tapers off. That doesn't look likely.

Pick: Federer in three.

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