Top-ranked Serena Williams will play her first match at the BNP Paribas Open on 13/03/2015 night in her return to the tournament she has boycotted since 2001.She will meet the winner of a first-round match between Monica Niculescu of Romania and Alexsandra Krunic of Serbia.
Williams brings an 11-match winning streak into the tournament she has won twice, including 2001. She received a wild card into this year’s event and is the top seed on the women’s side.
The draw projects Williams meeting third-ranked Simona Halep in the semifinals and second-ranked Maria Sharapova in the finals.Williams also won the 1999 tournament for her first big title and later that year she won her first Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open as a 17-year-old.
Williams had repeatedly vowed never to return to Indian Wells after getting booed in 2001. She was to play a semifinal against sister Venus, who pulled out 20 minutes before the start with a knee injury. Serena was booed again while winning the final against Kim Clijsters. Her father said he heard racial slurs in the crowd.
“I don’t really know what to expect because we haven’t played before,” Niculescu said. “But obviously I know she has a lot of power, and I know I’m going to run a lot. I’m just going to play my game.”
Heather Watson reached the BNP Paribas Open second round at Indian Wells with a nervy win over German Julia Goerges. Watson won the first set and served for the match at 5-3 in the second but lost five games in a row as Georges took the second set and led the decider. But the British number one rallied to win 6-4 5-7 6-3 and book a second-round meeting with 29th seed Camila Giorgi.
“I was definitely a bit nervous and it showed,” said Watson, 22. “But I found the right way to finish the match.”
It was only the British number one’s second victory since taking the title in Hobart at the start of the year.
British men’s number two James Ward will not compete in the main draw at Indian Wells after losing in the final round of qualifying.
The world number 108 went down 6-3 6-1 to Germany’s Mischa Zverev.
Georges J. vs Heather Watson, 11/03/2015, 18:10, Match Center:
Indian Wells: Williams to play 1st match, Watson beats Julia Goerges
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