Indian Wells, BNP Paribas Open, WTA Premier

[britbox]

Het @10isfan, are you attending IW this year?

 

[Chris Koziarz]

Interesting to see Vika, Serena and Sharapova playing in a tournament unseeded

I thought a "protected ranking" rule would kick off in cases like Serena who missed more than 6 months (actually 12 months) due to child birth. But the rule did not kick in and Serena is unseeded, and because of that and bad fortune, she will face Venus early on.in 3rd (if both advance). Why is that? Because Serena did not bother to apply or childbirth is not enough of a play preventing condition, as to qualify the affected player returning from a 6 mo+ absence to protected ranking?

 

[britbox]

I thought a "protected ranking" rule would kick off in cases like Serena who missed more than 6 months (actually 12 months) due to child birth. But the rule did not kick in and Serena is unseeded, and because of that and bad fortune, she will face Venus early on.in 3rd (if both advance). Why is that? Because Serena did not bother to apply or childbirth is not enough of a play preventing condition, as to qualify the affected player returning from a 6 mo+ absence to protected ranking?

It just applies to tournament entry, not actual seeding. Not that Serena really needs it - tournaments would be falling all over themselves to give her wildcards anyhow.

 

[10isfan]

I’ll be at IW from Tuesday night til Friday noon. I like going during the week when there isn’t a big crowd.

 

[isabelle]

happy to see Vika back

 

[britbox]

happy to see Vika back

Didn't she also win her custody battle a few weeks ago?

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

A potential QF between Serena and Svitolina is growing on me.

Dont get ahead now!
Today we have Sharapova, Bouchard, Stosur, Osaka and both Pliskova twins in action!
I think I want to watch Osaka versus Sharapova
Should be good.

Here is the full WTA set for today:

WEDNESDAY, MARCH, 07, 2018
COURT TIME
STADIUM 1 Starts At 11:00 am
Shelby Rogers (USA ) versus Caroline Dolehide (USA )
-
STADIUM 1 Followed By
Samantha Stosur (AUS ) versus Lauren Davis (USA )
-
STADIUM 1 Followed By
Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) versus Sachia Vickery (USA )
-
STADIUM 1 Followed By
Sofia Kenin (USA ) versus Claire Liu (USA )
-
STADIUM 1 Not Before 5:00
Naomi Osaka (JPN ) versus Maria Sharapova (RUS )
-
STADIUM 2 Starts At 11:00 am
Amanda Anisimova (USA )versus Pauline Parmentier (FRA )
-
STADIUM 2 Followed By
Belinda Bencic (SUI )versus Timea Babos (HUN )
-
STADIUM 2 Followed By
ATP Match
STADIUM 2 Followed By
Aryna Sabalenka (BLR ) versus Varvara Lepchenko (USA )
-
STADIUM 3 Starts At 11:00 am
ATP Match
STADIUM 3 Followed By
ATP Match
STADIUM 3 Not Before 2:30 pm
Donna Vekic (CRO ) versus Maria Sakkari (GRE )
-
STADIUM 3 Followed By
Marketa Vondrousova (CZE )versus Madison Brengle (USA )
-
STADIUM 4 Starts At 11:00 am
ATP Match
STADIUM 4 Followed By
ATP Match
STADIUM 4 Followed By
ATP Match
STADIUM 4 Followed By
Petra Martic (CRO ) versus Tatjana Maria (GER )
-
STADIUM 5 Starts At 11:00 am
ATP Match
STADIUM 5 Followed By
ATP Match
STADIUM 5 Followed By
Aleksandra Krunic (SRB )versus Irina-Camelia Begu (ROU )
-
STADIUM 6 Starts At 11:00 am
Yulia Putintseva (KAZ ) versus Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL )
-
STADIUM 6 Followed By
Qiang Wang (CHN ) versus Timea Bacsinszky (SUI )
-
STADIUM 6 Followed By
Ying-Ying Duan (CHN ) versus Kristyna Pliskova (CZE )
-
STADIUM 7 Followed By
ATP Match
STADIUM 7 Followed By
ATP Match
STADIUM 7 Followed By
Kurumi Nara (JPN ) versus Kaia Kanepi (EST )
-
STADIUM 9 Followed By
ATP Match
STADIUM 9 Followed By
ATP Match

 

[kskate2]

Results from the Indian Wells - BNP Paribas Open, Women's Singles Round 1 matches on Wednesday

 

[Moxie]

My takeaways from this day are: Stosur still in the game, Bouchard not so much; Sharapova out, but I like Naomi Osaka a lot, so that's not completely surprising.

 

[kskate2]

@Moxie Slammin Sammy is completely unreliable. She could lose in R2 and it would not make any newslines. Sharapova is not playing well. She is finding it hard to get out of the first round of her last few tournaments. Genie's slide continues. Maybe if they cut off all her endorsements, it would force her to play good tennis as her source of income. Naomi is coming on strong this year. I see her getting to the 2nd week of a slam and maybe winning a premier title during the Asian swing.

 

[Moxie]

Stosur has always been unreliable, but I'm glad to see she's still plugging away. I'm hoping that with her lawsuit behind her, Bouchard will begin to focus on her tennis again, but time is running out. She can't trade on her blondness forever. I really love Naomi, and I hope there are good things in her future. As to Sharapova....I don't know what to say. If she can't prove soon that she can't play without meldonium, then I don't know what. She's been back for a while and she's not so old that a comeback isn't impossible. Especially with Serena and Vika not around. This was a big opportunity, and she's not stepping up to it.

 

[britbox]

 

[britbox]

 

[britbox]

 

[britbox]

 

[britbox]

Stosur has always been unreliable, but I'm glad to see she's still plugging away. I'm hoping that with her lawsuit behind her, Bouchard will begin to focus on her tennis again, but time is running out. She can't trade on her blondness forever. I really love Naomi, and I hope there are good things in her future. As to Sharapova....I don't know what to say. If she can't prove soon that she can't play without meldonium, then I don't know what. She's been back for a while and she's not so old that a comeback isn't impossible. Especially with Serena and Vika not around. This was a big opportunity, and she's not stepping up to it.

Seems like Genie can't get past a first round.

The Sharapova match was always going to be tricky.

 

[Hoergren]

Seems like Genie can't get past a first round.

The Sharapova match was always going to be tricky.

Sharapova was beaten by a better player. She should attend smaller tournaments to get some match practise, she's not playing sharp enough right now, and players have no respect for her anymore - it's actually that simple. I saw the match and to me there never was any doubt about Osaka winning.

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

I watched some of that match, Sharapova was not sharp, neither was Osaka!
Maria was playing borderline terrible, dropping serve at love!

But Hoergren is right, Osaka was better player yesterday.

OK.... lets talk today!

Serena is making her much anticipated return TODAY!

Yeah!!

Here is full order of play:

THURSDAY, MARCH, 08, 2018
COURT TIME
STADIUM 1 Not Before 1:00 pm
Sara Sorribes Tormo (ESP ) vs Catherine Bellis (USA )
-
STADIUM 1 Not Before 7:00 pm
Serena Williams (USA ) vs Zarina Diyas (KAZ )
-
STADIUM 1 Followed By
Victoria Azarenka (BLR ) vs Heather Watson (GBR )
-
STADIUM 2 Starts At 11:00 am
Danielle Collins (USA ) vs Taylor Townsend (USA )
-
STADIUM 2 Followed By
ATP Match
-
STADIUM 2 Followed By
Sofya Zhuk (RUS ) vs Alizé Cornet (FRA )
- - - - - - - - - -
STADIUM 3 Followed By
Carina Witthoeft (GER ) vs Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE )
- - - - - - - - - -
STADIUM 4 Starts At 11:00 am
Yanina Wickmayer (BEL ) vs Kayla Day (USA )
-
STADIUM 4 Followed By
Vera Zvonareva (RUS ) vs Natalia Vikhlyantseva (RUS )
-
STADIUM 4 Followed By
Christina Mchale (USA ) vs Katerina Siniakova (CZE )
- - - - - - - - -
STADIUM 5 Starts At 11:00 am
Monica Puig (PUR ) vs Haddad Maia (BRA )
- - - - - - - - -
STADIUM 6 Followed By
Jennifer Brady (USA ) vs Mihaela Buzarnescu (ROU )
- - - - - - - - -
STADIUM 7 Followed By
Ekaterina Makarova (RUS ) vs Kirsten Flipkens (BEL )
-
STADIUM 7 Followed By
Lara Arruabarrena (ESP ) vs Lesia Tsurenko (UKR )
- - - - - - - -
STADIUM 8 Followed By
Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR ) vs Magda Linette (POL )
- - - - -- - - -
STADIUM 9 Starts At 11:00 am
Monica Niculescu (ROU ) vs Sorana Cirstea (ROU )
-
STADIUM 9 Followed By
Veronica Cepede Royg (PAR ) vs Mona Barthel (GER )

 

[britbox]

Serena back but can't really see her having too much trouble. Vika/Watson is a more interesting match for me... but I expect Vika to prevail.

 

[britbox]

The tournament is well underway, but here's what the stars had to say in advance...

Svitolina:



Caro Garcia:



Simona:



Pliskova:



Penko:



Caro:



Garbine:



Serena: