TODAY AT BNP PARIBAS | INDIAN WELLS CA | Tuesday, March 7
Welcome to USTA SoCal coverage of the BNP Paribas Masters at Indian Wells!
The big news in the desert today was the untimely departure of Serena Williams from the women’s draw. Williams withdrew from the event with a knee injury, a disappointing turn of events for those hoping to catch a glimpse of the living legend. Angelique Kerber will become the top seeded player on the women’s side. Madison Keys is the top seeded American, at #9.
Jennifer Brady (USTA Southern California)
On the local front, both men and women are competing in qualifying rounds as the Main Draw nears. Fresh off a victory over fellow American Asia Muhammad, Julia Boserup (Newport Beach) fell in a hard fought first set opposite Romanian Patricia Maria Tig, before losing command of her serve in a 7-5, 6-0 defeat. SoCal’s Kayla Day, Nicole Gibbs, Vania King, and Jennifer Brady (pictured) are among those on practice courts today, and will join Coco Vandeweghe in the Main Draw starting Wednesday.
Today on the Men’s side, #93 Jared Donaldson (Irvine) and #104 Ernesto Escobedo (West Covina) play this evening under the lights. Both are seeded in the top ten among qualifiers and look to advance into Thursday’s Main Draw.
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Bjorn Fratangelo (l.) and Ryan Harrison with two lucky fans at the Mens Draw. (USTA Southern California)
AROUND THE GROUNDS | Seen & Heard at the Tennis Garden
Nicole Gibbs (Santa Monica) greeted fans at the Wilson booth. Now ranked at #94 in the world, Gibbs is a former Stanford standout who received a wild card entry at Indian Wells. She meets Heather Watson of Great Britain in the first round… Renowned chefs Wolfgang Puck (“Spago“) and Nobu Matsuhisa (“Nobu“) headlined a presentation of new dining options at Indian Wells. With 21 new restaurants on site, the culinary bar has risen exponentially with this year’s impressive facility renovations… The Men’s Draw ceremony was enjoyed by a crowd of fans eager to see where their favorite player will seed beginning Thursday. Moet & Chandon hosted the gathering, complete with a champagne toast, as a hoard of young tennis fans lined up to take part in the selection process. ATP pros Ryan Harrison and Bjorn Fratangelo joined the ceremony.
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