mtenis.com.pl

by Richard Osborn
02/23/2018

As tennis fans gear up for the 2018 BNP Paribas Open, we look back on 10 indelible moments in Indian Wells, from Fraulein Forehand to Pistol Pete and beyond, the triumphs, the upsets, and the ones that got away.

1. COURIER AND FIVES: 1991 was a heck of a year for Jim Courier. Armed with a punishing inside-out forehand and an unbending will to win, the mop-topped Floridian would capture the maiden major of his Hall of Fame career, winning the first of two Roland Garros titles. But when Courier, now 47, looks back on that pivotal year, he surely points to Indian Wells as the place where it all began. The American
would score no less than three Top-10 wins in the desert en route to the title, to that point the biggest of his career. He took out world No. 2 and fellow Bollettieri boarder Andre Agassi in the Round of 16, before storming back from a two-sets-to-one deficit to oust Frenchman Guy Forget in a grueling three-and-half-hour final, 4-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(4).

Courier





“This is without question the best week of tennis I’ve played.”







2. THE FUTURE IS NOW: Steffi Graf was already 21 Grand Slam singles titles into her Hall of Fame career. The German would add her then-Open Era-best 22nd and final only months later at Roland Garros. Serena Williams, meanwhile, had yet to chart her first. However, Graf would get an up-close-and-personal glimpse of the future in the 1999 Indian Wells final, as the 17-year-old Williams outpunched her veteran opponent in three thrilling sets, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, erasing a 4-2 third-set deficit in the process. Little did we know then that Serena would one day catch and surpass Graf’s major trophy count.

1999-Serena

“This is the biggest tournament I ever won. I know that I can win the big ones now. It means a lot to me because Steffi is a great champion. She has more titles, from what I hear, than any man or lady playing tennis.”



3. BE LIKE MJ: American Mary Joe Fernandez needed two hours and 42 minutes to seal the title in1993, saving a pair of match points to overcome one of the sport’s most tenacious retrievers, Amanda Coetzer. Standing at a diminutive 5-foot-2, Coetzer was pound for pound one of the tour’s toughest outs. But Fernandez, nearly three years removed from her last title, simply refused to back down against the South African and prevailed, 3-6, 6-1, 7-5(6). Coetzer would return to the final the following year,only to fall short again, this time against Steffi Graf, 6-0, 6-4, while Fernandez would add her second Indian Wells title in 1995.

1993-Mary-Joe1



“I kept fighting. I never gave up.”







4. MISSED OPPORTUNITY: It was the match point that got away. With a trip to the 2016 quarterfinals on his racquet serving at 5-3, 40-30 in the decisive third set, and on the verge of becoming the youngest man to reach the Elite Eight in Indian Wells since Michael Chang and Andre Agassi in 1989, it looked as if 18-year-old wunderkind Alexander Zverev would seal a shocking upset of three-time titlist Rafael Nadal. Then came the muffed forehand volley, his inexperience on the sport’s biggest stages perhaps costing him the trophy. Said the disappointed German of the textbook sitter, “I missed probably the easiest shot I had the whole match.” Nadal would claim the next four games and the match, 6-7(8), 6-0, 7-5. Zverev has since shot up into the Top 5 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, but remains winless in three head-to-heads with the Spaniard.



“It was a great victory. I’m especially happy about my mentality on court, the spirit of fighting during the whole match, believing that I could win the whole timeeven in the tough situations.”





5. PETE VS. PETR: On the same court upon which he won his first-ever ATP singles match as a 16-year-old upstart, top-ranked Pete Sampras edges scissor-kicking Czech Petr Korda in the 1994 final, 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, in three hours and eight minutes. “He really deserves to be No. 1 in the world right now,” said Korda after the five-set loss. It was the first of two consecutive titles in the desert for the Californian, who would down lifelong rival Andre Agassi in straight sets in the ’95 final.

1994 Sampras



“In order for him to beat me, he was going to have to play three really good sets because I wasn’t going to give it to him.”





6. A STREAK BEGINS: Novak Djokovic wins the first of three consecutive ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles in Indian Wells, beating Roger Federer in the 2014 final, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(3). Djokovic (’14-’16) and Federer (’04-’06) remain the only players to reel off three straight in the desert, each owning a tournament-best five titles overall. Federer, who reached the title tilt without dropping a set, saw his career head-to-head advantage against the Serb cut to 17-16.

2014-Djokovic

“You always have to dig deep against Roger. You know that he’s going to play on a very high level in the latter stages of the tournament, especially in the final. Winning against Roger is always a great win anywhere in any tournament, any part of the world. He’s a great champion.”


7. MIRACLE MATCH: A year after falling in the first round of qualifying, Elena Vesnina returns with a vengeance, shedding her reputation as a doubles specialist once and for all with a gutty performance against Svetlana Kuznetsova in the all-Russian 2017 final. Claiming the three-hour marathon, 6-7(6), 7-5, 6-4, the Olympic gold medalist (doubles, 2016) erased deficits of 4-1 in the second and 4-2 in the third to nullify her countrywoman, a three-time runner-up in Indian Wells. It remains the biggest singles title of her career. “She won because she was more aggressive than I was,” explained Sveta. “I was too passive.”

2017 BNP PARIBAS OPEN



“This sounds like a miracle, for everybody, for you guys, for me, for all the girls out there. I think nobody would have picked me at the beginning of the tournament that I could win this title. Me, also — I couldn’t pick myself.”



8. THE COMEBACK: Kim Clijsters and Lindsay Davenport twice met in Indian Wells finals, with Clijsters winning on both occasions. But it’s the 2005 final that the Belgian remembers most fondly. Sidelined the previous year by a wrist injury that would lead to a pair of surgeries, Clijsters returned to the Coachella Valley as if she hadn’t missed a beat. Davenport appeared destined for her third tournament title. After all, she had obliterated Maria Sharapova, 6-0, 6-0, in the semis and was rolling. But despite falling behind 0-4, Love-40, in the opening set, the athletic Clijsters battled back to triumph, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.

2005_Clijsters



“Bad things can happen to you, but if you try to stay positive, something positive will come out of it. It’s an incredible feeling after a tough year to be able to have this now.”



9. MICHAEL’S MOMENT: Michael Chang played some of the best tennis of his career in Indian Wells, where he bagged three trophies (’92, ’96, ’97). The Californian has said that the title in ’96, the same year he rose to a career-high No. 2 in the world, was the most special. And for good reason. The Chinese-American not only took out Stefan Edberg in the second round, he bested rival Andre Agassi in the quarterfinals, rallying from a set down on both occasions. He then defeated Dutchman Paul Haarhuis in a heated (on-court temps soared to 117 degrees) final, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1. “Michael had an answer to every one of my shots,” said Haarhuis. “Against him, you feel like you hit what would be three winners against other guys, but the ball still comes back.”

1996-Chang



“It’s one of those tournaments that if you’re able to win, it’s something that you can always be proud of. Because the field is a really tough field. Everyone is out there trying their best.”





10. AN UPSET FOR THE AGES: It was only a second-round affair, but to Vasek Pospisil it might as well have been a final. That’s how it goes when you’re trying to resurrect a career that has seen you fall from a career-high of No. 25 in the Emirates ATP Rankings to a lowly No. 129, a qualifier more accustomed to backcourt wins on the Challenger circuit. The Canadian came into the 2017 BNP Paribas Open a paltry 3-20 against Top-10 competition, but on this night, he would score the biggest win of his career — an aggressive, go-for-broke 6-4, 7-6(5) upset of world No. 1 Andy Murray.



“It’s an amazing feeling. To beat the No. 1 player in the world is incredible. I mean, it’s the biggest win of my career.”

by Taylor Crosby
02/28/2018

With the 2018 BNP Paribas Open days away from getting started, we want our fans to have the inside track on who the in-form players are to follow at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

Here, five to follow at #BNPPO18:
The History Maker: Hyeon Chung

In an era in which 30-somethings are setting the pace in the men’s game, 21-year-old Hyeon Chung managed to grab plenty of headlines during the Australian Open with a run to the semifinals.

The South Korean shocked the tennis world when he charged past world No. 4 Alexander Zverev and then six-time champion Novak Djokovic en route to the semifinals at a Major for the first time, becoming the first South Korean player to make it that far in Grand Slam singles play.

Chung announced himself in 2017 by claiming the title at the inaugural ATP NextGen Finals, an event in November that showcased the 21-and-under rising stars in the men’s game. Evidenced by his brilliant fortnight in Melbourne, he’s kept that fire into the 2018 season.

With the year off to a fiery start for the youngster, one has to wonder: What damage he could do to the BNP Paribas Open draw?
Daring to Dominate: Grigor Dimitrov

After a career-best 2017, Grigor Dimitrov is aiming even higher this 2018 season.

“I always want to do more,” Dimitrov said earlier this year. “I always expect more from myself.”

Last summer, the Bulgarian won his first-ever ATP Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati. Then, to close the season, Dimitrov claimed his biggest title yet, winning the ATP World Tour Finals in London. These were two of a career-best four titles he won in 2017, which helped him rise to No. 3 in the year-end rankings, a career high.

With the success of last year behind him, Dimitrov knows there are more goals to chase. He now sets his sights on the BNP Paribas Open, a tournament where he has never advanced past the third round. Will his newfound confidence and form finally see him go deep?
The Comeback Kid: Petra Kvitova

In December 2016, Petra Kvitova was attacked in a home invasion and suffered deep wounds to her left hand, the same one she has used to hold her racket while winning – among other triumphs – a pair of Wimbledon titles.

Always a fighter on the court, she applied that tenacity to her recovery and was back on court in time for May’s French Open.

The two-time BNP Paribas Open quarterfinalist will return to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden for the first time in two years, and she’ll be doing it on quite the hot streak. Kvitova won back-to-back titles in February, capturing titles in St. Petersburg, Russia, and Doha. She has also soared back into the Top 10 for the first time since the summer of 2016.

What does the desert have in store for the Czech this year? Only one way to find out.
Ukraine’s Shooting Star: Elina Svitolina

Since the start of the 2017 season, Elina Svitolina has won a WTA-best seven titles. Yes, seven. The quick-moving, fast-hitting Ukrainian poses a dangerous threat in any draw.

Just two months into the 2018 season, and the world No. 4 has already lifted two trophies and boasts a 14-2 record (as of Feb. 26). Svitolina solidified her stardom in 2017, winning a tour-high five titles, the biggest coming at the Premier 5 event in Toronto, where she knocked out four Top 10 foes.

The 23-year-old has twice reached the round of 16 at the BNP Paribas Open. Is this the year she makes her desert breakthrough and claims her maiden Premier Mandatory title?
The Americans: Take Your Pick

With a combined seven Americans in the Top 20 of the two Tour’s rankings, it is hard to pick just one to watch out for at the 2018 BNP Paribas Open.

On the men’s side, can Jack Sock, Sam Querrey, or John Isner be the first American champion since 2001?

Sock impressed fans here last year as he advanced to his first ATP Masters 1000 semifinal, falling to eventual champion Roger Federer. Months later, the Nebraska native claimed his maiden Masters 1000 title in Paris, a win that also sent him to the ATP Finals in London.

Querrey, who sits at a career high of world No. 11, has won eight of his 10 ATP titles on hard court. Although he has never made it past the round of 16 in Indian Wells, the California native always poses a threat to the top seeds as evidenced by runs to the Wimbledon semifinals and US Open quarterfinals in 2017.

Isner has seen his fair share of success at the BNP Paribas Open, having reached the final in 2012 and semifinals in 2014. Ten of his 12 career titles have come in the U.S. Is this the year the big serving American adds a trophy from the desert to his collection?

On the women’s side, Venus Williams, Sloane Stephens, Madison Keys and CoCo Vandeweghe lead the way. Could the last 12 months of success lead any of these women to a BNP Paribas Open title?

Williams will look to improve on last season’s quarterfinal run, where she lost to eventual champion Elena Vesnina. After a 2017 that included two Grand Slam finals, the two-time semifinalist here will look to go a couple wins further this year.

Last year at the BNP Paribas Open, Stephens was wearing a boot on her surgically repaired right foot and wielding a Tennis Channel microphone instead of a tennis racket. Less than six months later, the 24-year-old was lifting the trophy as US Open champion. She comes back this year looking to improve on her best result here, a quarterfinal in 2014.

Keys also made an injury comeback in 2017, returning to action after wrist surgery at last year’s BNP Paribas Open and reaching the round of 16. As the year progressed she claimed her third career singles title, and also reached her first Major final at the US Open.

Slam success also came for Vandeweghe in 2017 as she reached the semifinals at both the Australian Open and US Open. In addition, the California native notched two wins over reigning world No. 1s. She has twice reached the third round in Indian Wells.

With a combined seven Americans in the Top 20 of the two Tour’s rankings, it is hard to pick just one to watch out for at the 2018 BNP Paribas Open.

On the men’s side, can Jack Sock, Sam Querrey, or John Isner be the first American champion since 2001?

Sock impressed fans here last year as he advanced to his first ATP Masters 1000 semifinal, falling to eventual champion Roger Federer. Months later, the Nebraska native claimed his maiden Masters 1000 title in Paris, a win that also sent him to the ATP Finals in London.

Querrey, who sits at a career high of world No. 11, has won eight of his 10 ATP titles on hard court. Although he has never made it past the round of 16 in Indian Wells, the California native always poses a threat to the top seeds as evidenced by runs to the Wimbledon semifinals and US Open quarterfinals in 2017.

Isner has seen his fair share of success at the BNP Paribas Open, having reached the final in 2012 and semifinals in 2014. Ten of his 12 career titles have come in the U.S. Is this the year the big serving American adds a trophy from the desert to his collection?

On the women’s side, Venus Williams, Sloane Stephens, Madison Keys and CoCo Vandeweghe lead the way. Could the last 12 months of success lead any of these women to a BNP Paribas Open title?

Williams will look to improve on last season’s quarterfinal run, where she lost to eventual champion Elena Vesnina. After a 2017 that included two Grand Slam finals, the two-time semifinalist here will look to go a couple wins further this year.

Last year at the BNP Paribas Open, Stephens was wearing a boot on her surgically repaired right foot and wielding a Tennis Channel microphone instead of a tennis racket. Less than six months later, the 24-year-old was lifting the trophy as US Open champion. She comes back this year looking to improve on her best result here, a quarterfinal in 2014.

Keys also made an injury comeback in 2017, returning to action after wrist surgery at last year’s BNP Paribas Open and reaching the round of 16. As the year progressed she claimed her third career singles title, and also reached her first Major final at the US Open.

Slam success also came for Vandeweghe in 2017 as she reached the semifinals at both the Australian Open and US Open. In addition, the California native notched two wins over reigning world No. 1s. She has twice reached the third round in Indian Wells.

Zapraszamy do zabawy i wzięcia udziału w quizie, w którym można sprawdzić swoją wiedzę na temat tenisa i rozpoczynającego się w środę turnieju w Indian Wells. Sprawdź, czy znasz odpowiedzi na wszystkie pytania!

W rozpoczynającym się w środę turnieju WTA Premier Mandatory w Indian Wells, który będzie rozgrywany na kortach twardych, Agnieszka Radwańska została rozstawiona z numerem 31. W drabince zawodów znalazła się także druga Polka, Magda Linette.

Dla Agnieszki Radwańskiej będzie to 12. występ w turnieju WTA w Indian Wells. Najlepszy wynik zanotowała w 2014 roku, kiedy to doszła do finału. W ubiegłym sezonie odpadła w III rundzie. W tegorocznej edycji imprezy BNP Paribas Open Polka została rozstawiona z numerem 31. i jak pozostałe tenisistki z numerkiem przy nazwisku (łącznie 32), w I rundzie otrzymała wolny los.
Mimo rozstawienia, Radwańska nie miała korzystnego losowania i już w inauguracyjnym meczu trafi na bardzo trudną rywalkę. Krakowianka bowiem w spotkaniu II rundy zmierzy się ze zwyciężczynią starcia pomiędzy Naomi Osaką a Marią Szarapową.


REKLAMA
Jeśli Polka przejdzie pierwszą przeszkodą, dalej wcale nie będzie łatwiej. W III rundzie może trafić na Garbine Muguruzę, która turniej rozpocznie meczem z Eugenie Bouchard bądź z kwalifikantką. Potencjalnymi rywalkami Radwańskiej w kolejnych fazach są Ashleigh Barty (1/8 finału), Petra Kvitova bądź Karolina Pliskova (ćwierćfinał) czy Simona Halep lub Jelena Ostapenko (półfinał).

Druga z Polek w BNP Paribas Open 2018, Magda Linette, miała nieco więcej szczęścia. Poznanianka znalazła się w dolnej części drabinki, a na otwarcie zmierzy się z Alaksandrą Sasnowicz. Jeśli pokona Białorusinkę, skonfrontuje swe siły z oznaczoną numerem 28. Anett Kontaveit. Z kolei w III rundzie może trafić na Karolinę Woźniacką, turniejową "dwójkę", która na początek zagra z kwalifikantką bądź z Łesią Curenko.

Również powracająca do tenisa, tyle że po dziewięciomiesięcznej przerwie, Wiktoria Azarenka na początek powalczy z Heather Watson. Najwyżej rozstawiona Simona Halep zmierzy się z tenisistką z eliminacji albo z Kristyną Pliskovą. Z kolei broniąca tytułu Jelena Wiesnina - z kwalifikantką lub z Catherine Bellis.

Turniej WTA Premier Mandatory w Indian Wells rozpocznie się w środę. Finał zaplanowano na niedzielę, 18 marca.

BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells (USA)
WTA Premier Mandatory, kort twardy, pula nagród 8,648 mln dolarów

Losowanie głównej drabinki:


REKLAMA
Simona Halep (Rumunia, 1) wolny los
Q - Kristyna Pliskova (Czechy)
Shelby Rogers (USA) - Caroline Dolehide (USA, WC)
Dominika Cibulkova (Słowacja, 30) wolny los
Elise Mertens (Belgia, 22) wolny los
Qiang Wang (Chiny) - Timea Bacsinszky (Szwajcaria)
Samantha Stosur (Australia) - Lauren Davis (USA)
Kristina Mladenović (Francja, 14) wolny los
Johanna Konta (Wielka Brytania, 11) wolny los
Marketa Vondrousova (Czechy) - Q
Aryna Sabalenka (Białoruś) - Varvara Lepchenko (USA)
Swietłana Kuzniecowa (Rosja, 19) wolny los
Barbora Strycova (Czechy, 25) wolny los
Petra Martić (Chorwacja) - Tatjana Maria (Niemcy)
Belinda Bencić (Szwajcaria) - Timea Babos (Węgry)
Jelena Ostapenko (Łotwa, 6) wolny los

Garbine Muguruza (Hiszpania, 3) wolny los
Eugenie Bouchard (Kanada, WC) - Q
Naomi Osaka (Japonia) - Maria Szarapowa (Rosja)
Agnieszka Radwańska (Polska, 31) wolny los
Coco Vandeweghe (USA, 17) wolny los
Q - Kaia Kanepi (Estonia)
Donna Vekić (Chorwacja) - Maria Sakkari (Grecja)
Ashleigh Barty (Australia, 16) wolny los
Petra Kvitova (Czechy, 9) wolny los
Julia Putincewa (Kazachstan) - Alison van Uytvanck (Belgia)
Amanda Anisimova (USA, WC) - Pauline Parmentier (Francja)
Anastazja Pawluczenkowa (Rosja, 23) wolny los
Shuai Zhang (Chiny, 32) wolny los
Q - Claire Liu (USA, WC)
Aleksandra Krunić (Serbia) - Irina-Camelia Begu (Rumunia)
Karolina Pliskova (Czechy, 5) wolny los

Venus Williams (USA, 6) wolny los
Q - Sorana Cirstea (Rumunia)
Serena Williams (USA) - Zarina Dijas (Kazachstan)
Kiki Bertens (Holandia, 29) wolny los
Anastazja Sevastova (Łotwa, 29) wolny los
Monica Puig (Portoryko) - Beatriz Haddad Maia (Brazylia)
Q - Natalia Wichliancewa (Rosja)
Julia Görges (Niemcy, 12) wolny los
Madison Keys (USA, 15) wolny los
Danielle Collins (USA, WC) - Q
Sofja Żuk (Rosja, WC) - Alize Cornet (Francja)
Magdalena Rybarikova (Słowacja, 18) wolny los
Carla Suarez (Hiszpania, 27) wolny los
Carina Witthöft (Niemcy) - Q
Veronica Cepede Royg (Paragwaj) - Mona Barthel (Niemcy)
Elina Switolina (Ukraina, 4) wolny los

Caroline Garcia (Francja, 7) wolny los
Jennifer Brady (USA) - Mihaela Buzarnescu (Rumunia)
Q - Kayla Day (USA, WC)
Daria Gawriłowa (Australia, 26) wolny los
Jelena Wiesnina (Rosja, 24) wolny los
Q - Catherine Bellis (USA)
Jekaterina Makarowa (Rosja) - Kirsten Flipkens (Belgia)
Andżelika Kerber (Niemcy, 10) wolny los
Sloane Stephens (USA, 13) wolny los
Wiktoria Azarenka (Białoruś, WC) - Heather Watson (Wielka Brytania)
Christina McHale (USA) - Katerina Siniakova (Czechy)
Daria Kasatkina (Rosja, 20) wolny los
Anett Kontaveit (Estonia, 28) wolny los
Alaksandra Sasnowicz (Białoruś) - Magda Linette (Polska)
Q - Łesia Curenko (Ukraina)
Karolina Woźniacka (Dania, 2) wolny los

The next two evenings in Indian Wells are bound to be electric.

Making her much-anticipated return to Indian Wells for the first time in three years, unseeded Maria Sharapova will kick off her 2018 BNP Paribas Open campaign against Japan’s Naomi Osaka on Wednesday afternoon (not before 5 p.m.).

Also returning to the desert are new moms Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka, who are scheduled to be in action on Thursday night at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Williams faces Kazakh Zarina Diyas, while the wild card Azarenka meets Brit Heather Watson.

PURCHASE TICKETS
Sharapova (2006, 2013), Williams (1999, 2001) and Azarenka (2012, 2016) are all seeking a record third BNP Paribas Open title.

It’s been three years since Maria Sharapova last stepped onto the Plexipave courts of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. But the hiatus is over. The former No. 1 and five-time Grand Slam champion — a two-time titlist at the BNP Paribas Open — will make her much-anticipated return on Wednesday afternoon (not before 5 p.m., in Stadium 1) against rising Japanese star Naomi Osaka. The Russian lifted the trophy here in 2006 and 2013.

BUY TICKETS
It’s go time
In addition to the above referenced marquee matchup between 41st-ranked Sharapova and No. 44 Osaka, there will be a full slate of WTA singles and doubles matches throughout the grounds. Highlights include Stadium 1 contests between 2011 US Open champ Sam Stosur and American Lauren Davis (second match on), and wildcard entrant Eugenie Bouchard and American qualifier Sachia Vickery (third match on).

12 hungry men
A dozen main-draw spots remain up for grabs in the BNP Paribas Open men’s draw. Round 2 of qualifying will determine those slots on Wednesday, with top-seed Vasek Pospisil, Frenchman Nicolas Mahut, 2006 Aussie Open runner-up Marcos Baghdatis, and 2016 NCAA singles/doubles winner Mackenzie McDonald still among the hopefuls.

Wayne’s World
Join host Wayne Bryan (emcee extraordinaire and father of doubles standouts Bob and Mike Bryan) at the Tennis Garden Village Stage for the daily edition of Tennis Talk. Special guests include current ATP/WTA Tour players, as well as legends like Chris Evert.

Practice makes perfect
Nowhere on the ATP/WTA tours are the practice courts more intimate/approachable than those of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, giving tennis fans a one-of-a-kind opportunity to get a close-up view of their favorite players in action. Roger Federer’s Tuesday afternoon warm-up session on Practice Court 1 drew a capacity crowd, as the defending champ readied himself for his opener against either American Ryan Harrison or Argentine Federico Delbonis.