Ana Ivanovic Photo courtesy of Laura Schmid
The wait is over and the tournament is under way. Over the last couple of days, the gates at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden have been open with free entry for all fans. With beautiful weather, great food and 300 hundred of the worlds best tennis players with their eyes on the prize, the BNP Parisbas Open is the place to be.
For many fans, this tournament is an incredible experience. This can be the closest they will be able to get to the players, snap some pictures, ask for autographs and study their ground strokes.
Players like Former number 1 in the world, Justine Henin and Ana Ivanovic were hitting the practice courts with many fans watching in attendance.
Justin Henin Photo Courtesy of Laura Schmid
With only 12 spots into the main draw, the qualifying rounds become intense matches with players battling for a spot to get in, meaning more points and more prize money. Win your in, lose your out.
On the mens side,a couple veteran players who didn't get into the main draw had tough matches today facing younger hungrier players in the qualifying.
Sebastian Grosjean and wild card entry,Vince Spadea lost first round matches today. Young American , Donald Young is in to the second round with a win over Luka Gregorc of Slovenia, 7-5, 6-4.
On the womens side, players, Tamarine Tanasugarn from Thailand lost to Spaniard Nuria Llagostera Vives. Hollands Michaella Krajicek lost to Patra Martic of Croatia. 16 year old American Sloane Stephens and Shenay Perry are through to the main event. Great Britains Elena Baltacha is in.
Also qualifying into th emain draw, Romanian Edina Gallovits, Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova, Portugal’s Michelle Larcher de Brito, Ukrainian Viktoriya Kutuzova, Chinese Taipei’s Chan Yung-Jan, Croatian Karolina Sprem and Uzbekistani Akgul Amanmuradova.
With the womens qualifying completed, the main draw is now set, begining tomorrow at 11am. On the mens side, qualifying will finish the second round matches starting at 11am.
For the "order of play" click the link.
Comments