With the conclusion of the men’s quarterfinals on Friday, the Saturday semifinals for the BNP Paribas Open are set.

Top Half

Roger Federer [1] vs Borna Coric

Roger Federer reached the semifinals with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Hyeon Chung. The Korean had to retire from their last match, due to blisters and finally got the chance to test himself against another one of the sport’s greats. Federer certainly did not expect an easy match: “I had a plan in place, but then you adjust to it constantly. Maybe it's the wind, maybe it's the opponent, because you just don't know his patterns yet. I like that. I like it when it's the unknown, even though it can be a bit scary, but it's all good.” While Chung did lose, he will still have the honor of becoming the Asian number one in the new computer rankings.

Federer is happy to test himself against the young talents making big waves on tour, while pushing back against suggestions that the next gen has already taken over: “I'm just happy that I'm able to keep up a good level. The young guys are still calibrating their game, understanding what they need to do. They are still working on a lot of things.”

Federer won the only match he ever played against Coric 6-2, 6-1, but the circumstances have changed significantly. The Croatian was only 18-years-old at the time and has had three years to grow and develop his game.

Bottom Half

Milos Raonic [32] vs Juan Martin Del Potro [6]

Milos Raonic reached the Indian Wells semifinal with a 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 victory over American Sam Querrey.  Raonic was not shy about discussing all the injuries he has overcome in his career so far. Recounting his journey, he said “let's go down the list. Right adductor, left glut at the beginning of the year. Then I tore my hamstring beginning of February. After Wimbledon I had to have wrist surgery. Through the summer I tried to play a few events, tried to treat the issue. That wasn't possible. I had surgery just before the US Open. Was hoping to start my offseason in the early weeks of October. No, early weeks of November. And then in November I had – I hurt my knee. I hurt my meniscus, so I couldn't play for six weeks. Started training just before the Australian Open, and I'm here today.”

The injuries have forced him to refocus as he works with his new coach Goran Ivanisevic and he finds positivity in that: “The one thing he has done is he's made the objectives very clear with me and really tried to simplify things just so I can stick to the things I know how to do well and not try to overcomplicate my tennis at this moment. And when you make a decision, go for it. Don't question it. Don't think about the what ifs. What should I do? What shouldn't I do? Just stick.

Juan Martin Del Potro, his opponent in the semifinal, is no stranger to injury, and the two have been through a lot since they first played each other in 2013. They played two matches that year, each player with one win. When they played a third time in Delray Beach in 2017, Raonic won. Del Potro, who has a Grand Slam title from his 2009 US Open win, has found Masters 1000 titles elusive and hopes to turn his luck around this year at Indian Wells: “I never win one of these, but I lost many finals, and I would like to be in the final again. But I know Milos is another guy who can win the tournament. Roger and Coric are playing so good. So, everything can happen. But I'm looking forward to win the first one here.”