After two days of preliminary round actions, the big guns are all set to take center stage on Saturday for the second round of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, Calif.

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic—the men's tennis Big Four—look to kick start their campaigns on a positive note, and avoid an early round shocker in the desert.

Federer, fresh from bagging his first crown of the year in Dubai Duty Free Open, is out to collect more trophies and build up more momentum heading into the second Grand Slam tournament of the year—the French Open.

With a miserable 2013 campaign all but a distant memory now, the 32-year-old Federer feels excited for the chance to compete again at a high level without back problems and issues regarding his large-frame racket.

"I'm excited to play here in Indian Wells," said Federer on Thursday on ATP News. "I'm happy to see the hard work is paying off and the decisions I made midway through last year were the right ones. I am playing nicely now and pain-free, which is the goal. Winning cements that feeling. It's more fun and it gives me confidence. It makes me more eager to play more and win more."  

After receiving a first-round bye, the Swiss master will take on Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu in the second round. Mathieu booked a match with the 17-time Grand Slam winner by beating Robby Ginepri of the United States 6-2, 6-3.

On the other hand, Rafael Nadal is gunning for another championship at Indian Wells after sending the message of his emphatic return last year at the same tourney.

Nadal, coming off a seven-month layoff due to a bothersome knee injury, won couple of clay-court tourneys in his return, but his third Indian Wells crown was simply the pivotal point of his 2013 campaign that saw him bag 10 titles and finished the season with an impeccable 75-7 record.  

"I got to Indian Wells with a lot of doubt about winning on hard court," Nadal told My Desert News. "Winning in Indian Wells boosted my confidence. It gave me positive energy to continue fighting. I believed a little more that I was ready to come back and compete against everybody. It was most special for me."

Nadal will take on Czech Republic's Radek Stepanek in the second round. The Czech bested Dennis Istomin of Uzbekistan in three sets, 6-1, 3-6, 6-1.

Live Stream, TV Schedule and Match Results Updates

Coverage of the Indian Wells Open will begin on Friday at 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. EST on The Tennis Channel. Live stream footage of key matches can be watched on the ATP World Tour's web site or ESPN Watch.

Live Scores and updates can be followed on Pro Tennis Live.