Seeded Women’s Singles Players to Make 2014 Debuts today at BNP Paribas Open
The seeded women’s singles players will make their debuts in the 2014 BNP Paribas Open today, while the men will complete in the first round of singles play at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
Second-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland is the highest seeded player to be in action today. She’ll face Heather Watson of Great Britain at 11 a.m. on the Stadium 1 court.
Radwanska won in straight sets the two times she has played Watson, who is 134th on the Women’s Tennis Association rankings and needed two win two qualifying matches to reach the main draw.
The lone night women’s singles match will pit third-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus against American Lauren Davis in their first meeting. Davis is ranked 66th.
The tournament’s top seed, Li Na of China, will play her first match on Saturday, as will the only American player to receive a seed, Sloane Stephens, who is seeded 17th.
Each of today’s losers will receive $16,000, with each of the winners guaranteed at least $28,000.
All 32 seeded players in the 96-player draw received first-round byes.
Women’s first-round singles play was completed Thursday with 16 matches, with 17-year-old Taylor Townsend and fellow American Coco Vandeweghe among the winners.
Townsend defeated Karin Knapp of Italy, 7-6 (1), 6-1, and the 22-year-old Vandeweghe won her first main draw match since the U.S. Open, eliminating Alexandra Cadantu of Romania, 6-4, 6-0.
Three Americans were among the day’s losers — Victoria Duval, Vania King and Bethanie Mattek-Sands.
Men’s first-round singles play will conclude with 16 matches, including two on the Stadium 1 court. American Bradley Klahn will face Australian Marinko Matosevic in the day’s second match on the court, followed by a match between former USC standout Steve Johnson and Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain.
Each of today’s losers will receive $11,000, with each of the winners guaranteed at least $16,000.
Men’s first-round singles play began Thursday with 16 matches, including three all-American matchups. Tim Smyczek defeated Jack Sock, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4; 35-year-old Michael Russell defeated Donald Young, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2; and in a night match, Sam Querrey defeated Alex Kuzentsov, 6-3. 6-3.
Lleyton Hewitt defeated fellow Australian Matt Ebden, 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-3, for his 599th singles victory in Association of Tennis Professionals play.
Like the women, all 32 seeded men’s players in the 96-player draw received first-round byes.
