America’s Reilly Opelka had spent most of the previous two seasons on the sidelines due to injuries, but what a start he has had this season! He stunned his hero,” Novak Djokovic, in the QF of the 2025 Brisbane International. Shortly after securing one of the biggest wins of his career, Opelka said, “I’ve got a long way to go to get my ranking back where I’d like it, and my endurance back where I can compete at this level week in, week out.” After reaching the final in Brisbane, the 27-year-old came up with a strong performance in Dallas as well, but now he needs to get a good start at the Indian Wells Masters. Can he beat Russia’s Roman Safiullin in the Round of 128?

Reilly Opelka vs Roman Safiullin: Preview

Reilly Opelka will enter this contest against Safiullin following his hard-fought defeat against his compatriot Brandon Nakashima in the R16 of the Delray Beach Open. The 23-year-old defeated Opelka by 3-6,7-5,6-2 in that match. Opelka will be looking to make a strong comeback from that loss and get off to a winning start at the BNP Paribas Open.

His opponent in this match, Roman Safiullin, has had a horrid start to the season. He has made early exits in each of the tournaments he has played in 2025 so far. Safiullin was defeated by the Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor in the R32 of the Dubai Tennis Championships by the scoreline of 7-5,6(4)-7,6(1)-7. He will also be looking to get back to winning ways, much like Opelka.

Opelka vs Safiullin: Head-to-Head

Well, no one has the edge in the H2H at the moment, as Reilly Opelka has never faced Roman Safiullin in his career before. The H2H record currently stands at 0-0.

Prediction: Opelka will win this match in straight sets

Speaking of their numbers this season, Opelka (114) currently has a win-loss record of 8-4. Roman Safiullin (69), on the other hand, has been pretty ordinary with a W/L record of 2-3! Opelka will be playing in his home conditions as well, and the support of the local crowd might just help him put even more pressure on Safiullin.

Now, let’s talk about their playing styles. Well, Safiullin has an aggressive style of play. He’s known for his strong serve, forehands, and solid baseline play. And he loves combining his baseline rallies with net play, as well. However, he’s not among the fastest servers around on the men’s Tour.

Talking about fast servers, the 6ft 11 inches tall Reilly Opelka can use his height incredibly well to generate some real power behind his serves. He has already hit 215 aces this season! His consistency and precision are key to his high success rate on the serves.

Other than that, Opelka also has a good volley and an incredible reach on the courts, which often helps him secure points from extraordinary positions. Even his backhand down the line is quite praiseworthy! So, keeping all these things in mind, Reilly Opelka has a higher chance to proceed to the next round at the Indian Wells Masters. The prediction is for Opelka to win the match in three sets.