BNP Paribas Open begins play

The 2019 BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament begins Monday at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden with women’s singles qualifying play.

Play will begin at 11 a.m., with gates opening at 10 a.m. Admission is free.

The 48 players seeking 12 spots in the 96-player main draw include 2012 French Open finalist Sara Errani of Italy and Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium, a 2009 U.S. Open semifinalist.

Anastasia Potapova of Russia is the highest ranked player in qualifying, 72nd on the Women’s Tennis Association singles rankings. The 17-year-old reached the semifinals of last month’s Hungarian Ladies Open. Potapova will face Australian Priscilla Hon in the first match in Stadium 4.

There are no Americans among the 24 seeded players in qualifying. Santa Monica resident Nicole Gibbs is the highest ranked American in the qualifying at 123rd. Gibbs won the 2011 and 2012 NCAA women’s singles championships while playing for Stanford.

Gibbs, who turned 26 on Sunday, will face 16th-seeded Fiona Ferro of France in the second match in Stadium 3.

The 10 Americans in the qualifying draw also includes 18-year-old Claire Liu of Thousand Oaks, who in 2017 became the first American to win the Wimbledon junior girls’ title since Chanda Rubin in 1992.

Liu will face 22nd-seeded Nao Hibino of Japan in the final match in Stadium 9. Liu is ranked 137th, 19 spots below Hibino.

Players winning two matches in qualifying will advance to the main draw. Players losing in Monday’s qualifying matches will receive $3,395, while the winners will receive at least $6,790.

Men’s qualifying play is scheduled to begin Tuesday, women’s main draw play Wednesday and men’s main draw play Thursday.