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INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – The BNP Paribas Open draw featured a full slate of intriguing second round possibilities, few more than No.5 seed Dominika Cibulkova’s against Jelena Ostapenko. The reigning BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global champion carved out a thrilling 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win over the rising Latvian to book a third round meeting with Kristyna Pliskova.

“It was a really big fight,” she told WTA Insider after the match. :I feel like I had to fight for every single ball because I wasn’t feeling great on the court. It’s hard to feel great against a player who doesn’t give you rhythm. I won’t say I was struggling but I had some hard times today; I tried to stay really strong and positive, fight for every single ball. I appreciate this win a lot becuase it was a tough one.”

A former Wimbledon junior winner, Ostapenko came perilously close to handing a then-unbeaten Karolina Pliskova her first loss of the season at the Australian Open, and has been ranked as high as No.33 since reaching her first Premier 5 final at last year’s Qatar Total Open.

Ostapenko finds the angle on the backhand! #BNPPO17 pic.twitter.com/YlDvjXhAb5

— WTA (@WTA) March 11, 2017

The teenager showed her full arsenel of power shots as day turned to night on Stadium 3, hitting 33 winners to 30 unforced errors through three sets, but was undone by her serve – hitting 10 double faults to just two aces in a match that was dominated by return.

“This match wasn’t how I wanted it to be; I can play much better, but it also depends on the opponent. I knew it was going to be a hard one, so it didn’t surprise me. I just had to fight for every single ball. I was glad with how I finished the match; I felt like myself in a few moments like those.”

Cibulkova, by contrast, had something to prove after losing her last two matches in three sets, one in the semifinals of Doha to Pliskova, and another to Ekaterina Makarova at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

The best of @Cibulkova. #BNPPO17 pic.twitter.com/TgQqEYRl9J

— WTA (@WTA) March 11, 2017

Dealing with the pressure of defending her breakout 2016 season, the Slovak was forced to dig deep during the two hour, 11 minute epic, shurgging off a shaky serving day of her own to hit six winners to just two unforced errors in the final set to ease into the round of 32.

“It doesn’t matter how you play in practice, but I’d been practicing well. I had a few days off after Dubai and had a great week of practice. We changed a few things and I was feeling really great.

“I was going for my shots more in practice, playing more aggressively. Even if I made a mistake, my coach would remind me to be even more aggressive with my footwork and keep pressing.”

Dominika @Cibulkova books a spot in @BNPPARIBASOPEN Third round!

Ousts Ostapenko 6-4, 4-6, 6-3! pic.twitter.com/ptJ6ngAvib

— WTA (@WTA) March 11, 2017

Standing between her and a spot in the second week is the left-handed Pliskova, who is starting to come out from the shadow of sister Karolina, who kicks off her Indian Wells campaign against Olympic champion Monica Puig later tonight.

“It takes time for me to adjust to lefties,” Cibulkova said of her next match. “I have a strategy when I play them, and I try not to flip my patterns and think too much about it. I just have to return the same way, but mind the bounce. I’ve never played her before, and so it’ll be a different one. This match should give me a good feeling, and the confidence to handle a match like this and to win it.”

Pliskova roared past No.33 seed and 2016 quarterfinalist Daria Kasatkina, 6-0, 6-3, hiting five aces to advance in 64 minutes.

“I know how I can play and this wasn’t even my best,” Pliskova told WTA Insider. “I’m not that surprised to win, but I’m still happy because it was an easy score.

“I felt, especially in the second set after she called her coach, that she was trying to put every ball in. The second set was dangerous because if I missed a few shots she wasn’t. But still, I play fast, and it’s tough to put everything in – especially on the serve!”

Asked about playing Cibulkova, Pliskova debated whether to ask her sister for advice.

“I never played her, but I will maybe ask Karolina. Maybe she will tell me something, but she has a bad record against her too. Maybe I’ll just stick to my plan. Last time she won, but last three times she lost, so maybe I won’t even ask her!” she laughed.

Taking a break from the desk to catch a fun contrast in styles out on Stadium 5. Power rolling so far. #BNPPO17 pic.twitter.com/IKYxczKiJr

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) March 11, 2017

Still, it’s been a banner day for the top players despite the underdog heavy draw; all but two of the 16 seeds in action advanced. No.8 seed and Singapore semifinalist Svetlana Kuznetsova knocked out Sweden’s Johanna Larsson, 7-6(3), 6-4; she’ll next play No.26 seed Roberta Vinci, who earned a win over unseeded American Madison Brengle.

Coming through the toughest match of the day was No.10 seed Elina Svitolina, who extended her winning streak to 14 matches on Friday with a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(3) win over China’s Wang Qiang. It won’t get any easier for the Ukrainian, who next faces former doubles partner and No.24 seed Daria Gavrilova; the Aussie eased past 2009 US Open semifinalist Yanina Wickmayer, 6-2, 7-6(5).

? on the backhand from @ElinaSvitolina! #BNPPO17 pic.twitter.com/9taBockf62

— WTA (@WTA) March 10, 2017

No.17 seed Barbora Strycova won a rematch of last year’s Dubai final over Sara Errani, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2; awaiting her in the third round is No.19 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who cruised past Estonian qualifier Anett Kontaveit, 6-4, 6-4.

Congratulations, Ms. Bacsinszky. Nice win today. And that was kind and thoughtful of you to make that little girl's day ?@TimeaOfficial pic.twitter.com/w09NF8wBMi

— EustaceTarwater (@EustaceTarwater) March 10, 2017

Indian Wells will also play host to a battle of surprise French Open semifinalists; No.15 seed Timea Bacsinszky reached the final four on the terre battue in 2015 and will play No.18 seed Kiki Bertens, who made the semifinals last year. Bacsinszky defeated Monica Niculescu, 7-5, 6-2, while Bertens handed an unhappy birthday present to newly 20-year-old Belinda Bencic, 6-2, 6-2.

Madison Keys makes her 2017 debut and Venus Williams takes on the BNP Paribas Open’s longest tenured player. We break down today’s key second-round matchups at WTATennis.com.

Saturday, Second round

[2] Angelique Kerber (GER # 2) vs. Andrea Petkovic (GER # 79)
Head-to-head: Kerber leads, 7-3
Key Stat: Kerber will begin her 21st week at No.1 on the Monday after Indian Wells.

As a result of Serena Williams’ injury withdrawal, Angelique Kerber will make her return to the top of the WTA rankings following Indian Wells no matter how she fares. But the German is adamant about not letting this good news cause any complacency in her tennis. She’s here to compete, and to hopefully kickstart a season that hasn’t panned out exactly the way she would have liked in the first two months. Kerber is 7-5 on the season, but she has yet to reach a final and she has gone 2-5 against the Top 50. “I was coming here to win matches,” Kerber told reporters on Wednesday. “This is what I love and this is what I was practicing for the last weeks. This is more what I’m focusing on. I will try and really stay with my focus because this is my priority and I will try now not to think about getting No.1 again.”

Kerber is set to square off with compatriot Andrea Petkovic for the 11th time on Saturday. The pair will meet for the first time since 2015, when Kerber won a straight-setter in the Charleston semis.

Pick: Kerber in three

[12] Venus Williams (USA # 13) vs. Jelena Jankovic (SRB # 51)
Head-to-head: Jankovic leads, 7-6
Key Stat: Jankovic is making her record 16th appearance at the BNP Paribas Open.

A pair of legendary thirtysomethings will lock horns for the 14th time on Saturday for a spot in the third round when Venus Williams and Jelena Jankovic continue a rivalry that started over a decade ago in the quarterfinals at the 2005 Bank of the West Classic in Northern California. A lot of time has passed since then, but Williams (36) and Jankovic (32) continue to turn back the clock with brave tennis, big personality and an unquenchable lust for the competition that exists on tour. Williams made her return to Indian Wells for the first time in 15 years last season but was upset in her first match by Japan’s Kurumi Nara. She’d like to extend her stay a little longer this time, but she’ll have her hands full with Jankovic, who took the pair’s last hardcourt meeting at Hong Kong in 2015.

While Williams may still be re-familiarizing herself with the playing conditions in the desert, Jankovic has played some of her best tennis here. She won the title in 2010 and reached the final in 2015.

Pick: Williams in three

[20] CoCo Vandeweghe (USA #22) vs. Lucie Safarova (CZE # 40)
Head-to-head: Safarova leads, 2-1
Key Stat: After finishing 2016 with five consecutive losses, Vandeweghe is 8-3 in 2017.

American CoCo Vandeweghe was a set away from her first career Grand Slam final before she fell to Venus Williams in a thrilling three-setter at the Australian Open semifinals this winter. Now she’s looking to make some noise on her home soil, but the California native will have to get past a very accomplished veteran if she hopes to reach beyond the third round for the first time. Lucie Safarova has been playing very solid tennis this season, and has a final at Budapest and an 11-5 record to show for it. She has taken her last two meetings with Vandeweghe, both on hard courts, but the American is a more confident player than she ever has been before.

Pick: Safarova in three

[9] Madison Keys (USA # 9) vs. Mariana Duque-Mariño (ESP # 112)
Head-to-head: Keys Leads, 1-0
Key Stat: Keys has never been past the third round at Indian Wells.

Madison Keys will make her return to the tour after missing the first two months due to a minor wrist surgery. Keys has also been reunited with former coach Lindsay Davenport, and the pair will move forward hoping to recreate the success that they achieved in 2015, when the American reached her only career Grand Slam semifinal at the age of 19. For her first hurdle she’ll face Spain’s Mariana Duque-Mariño, a 27-year-old qualifier who earned her first ever BNP Paribas Open main draw win on Thursday when she defeated Romania’s Patricia Maria Tig.

The matchup is a good one for Keys, but how quickly can the 22-year-old shake off the rust that surely exists? In her first match since last October Keys will need to be sharp—Duque Mariño has already won two rounds of qualifying in addition to her first-round win and she’ll be hungry for the upset.

Pick: Keys in two

By the Numbers:

36 – The age of Venus Williams, who is the oldest player in this year’s BNP Paribas Open draw.
20 – Amount of weeks that Kim Clijsters and Angelique Kerber have spent at No.1 as of today. Kerber will pass Clijsters when she begins her second stint at the top of the rankings on Monday March 20th.
47 – Number of BNP Paribas Open matches won by Lindsay Davenport, which is most all-time. The American also holds the record for most final appearances with six.
28 – Agnieszka Radwanska leads all players in this year’s draw with 28 wins at Indian Wells. She’ll bid for her 29th against Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo today.

Catch up on Episode I of Insider Diaries here.

Alla Kudryavtseva began her Australian Summer hoping to revive her singles ranking and reach new heights with good friend and doubles partner, Vania King.

But first, she had to brave the 16-hour flight.

“I cannot stand air travel,” she told WTA Insider. “Maybe I chose the wrong career, but it actually developed through the years. I didn’t start out that way; I was never particularly comfortable, but recently it’s been very hard.”

Kudryavtseva was far more comfortable once she landed on the court with King; in their first tournament together in almost seven years, the dynamic duo reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open with back-to-back upsets over No.11 seeds Samantha Stosur and Yaroslava Shvedova and No.5 seeds Elena Vesnina and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

“I feel like we’ve been on the court this entire time. There was only one point in our first match where we got caught on the same side of the court, but that happens in doubles – someone is crossing or your opponent plays a drop shot.

“I thought Vania was behind me, but we got passed. We just looked at each other and started laughing, ‘That’s not so bad for our first match!’ That also speaks to our confidence; we knew we still going to win. We were just like, ‘Oh my god, look at us, after six years getting caught on the same side of the court, like two amateurs!’

“Otherwise, I think we move in sync, and have a good understanding of doubles. Both of us are comfortable at the baseline and the net. I would imagine it’s not so easy to play us, because there’s not one person that you’d pick who might break down.

“Bethanie and Lucie kind of ruined it for everyone, though, right?” she added with a laugh. “In their first tournament together, they won the Australian Open and we’re like, ‘Oh, we only made the quarterfinals.’ But it’s working.”

So close… But so far… Так близко… Но так далеко…. ?????? @AustralianOpen pic.twitter.com/PuvVOllUuc

— Alla Kudryavtseva (@AllaK11) January 18, 2016

For a player resolved to take a more positive approach to tennis, the Russian couldn’t have picked a better partner than King, who was playing in just her second major tournament after a back injury sidelined her for most of 2015.

“I’ve never played with someone who celebrates this much! She was so happy to win every single match; that’s a lot to do with being away from tennis, but it was so contagious.

“After our first round, I was still treating it like it was a job. I told her, ‘We got through it.’ But she said, ‘We didn’t get through it, we WON! Oh my god!’ It was such a refreshing feeling. She doesn’t take anything for granted, she takes every match we win at full value.

“I fed off of that energy. Being so much on the tour – god bless! – I haven’t had a big injury or missed time on the court, so I don’t remember what it’s like to have that excitement for every single match. But we should be excited.

“I’m really thankful that we are able to play right now because it gives me that different outlook and feel for the game, that different kind of vibe.”

As the pair honed their own vibe, they had to face down familiar opposition in Shvedova, with whom King won Wimbledon and the US Open in 2010, and Pavlyuchenkova, who had played with Kudryavtseva throughout last season and were first alternates together in Singapore. Looking ahead proved crucial to victory – in more ways than one.

What a ?@AllaK11 & @queen_v21 signing autographs for the @AustralianOpen fans. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/2rRBGu06iu

— WTA (@WTA) January 23, 2016

“When you’re on the same side of the court, you shouldn’t be looking back. You shouldn’t know whether your partner is hitting a forehand or backhand; you should feel it and go where the ball flies.

“So when Vania asked, ‘What are our tactics?’ I said, I can tell you what she’s like a singles player because I’ve played her, but as a doubles player, I was on the same side! I wasn’t trying to analyze what doesn’t work for her; I was trying to analyze how we could build on our strengths.

“It’s never easy to play your friend or your ex-partner, but I focused on my team and our chemistry, what works for us, and the positives that we took from that match. After a very long career on the tour, you learn to let things go, and let people go. You just move on and play tennis; you can’t focus on whom you’re playing.”

The win over Pavlyuchenkova and Vesnina proved to be their best of the week, one that gives them even more confidence as they prepare to reunite for Indian Wells and Miami.

“It was a good test for us to lose that first set and see how we work as a team when things don’t go our way. In the previous two matches we won the first sets quickly; it’s easy to get along when things are going well.

“I love the fact that we kept communicating and talking on the changeovers, trying to find the tactics that would work. We kept trying to find that extra energy that would bring us up in the match. That was huge for us, just to be able to come back from behind.

“I’m really excited for us to continue testing ourselves against the best teams in the world; that’s where I want to be and that’s where Vania wants to be as well. I’ve already tried to talk to her about Singapore – she played in Doha with Slava – so I tried to be like, ‘Well in Singapore, they have the Infinity Pool!’ It’s really far away but it was great to be on the court with her and I’m looking forward to that again; she has a great spirit about her and we’re both very motivated.”

A warm congrats hug from @queen_v21, who was supporting me in my match today…. #friendsday pic.twitter.com/QJgOwLG7KI

— Alla Kudryavtseva (@AllaK11) February 5, 2016

Following a tight two-set loss to No.13 seeds Karolina Pliskova and Julia Goerges, Kudryavtseva and King traveled to an ITF Challenger in Launceston; despite not playing doubles, the two friends still managed to find their way onto the same court when they met in the semifinals.

“She watched me play my quarterfinal, and she cheered for me. After the match, she came up to me in the gym and gave me a huge hug. I actually asked my coach to take a picture; I said, ‘Look at us; we’re playing against one another tomorrow but now we’re hugging! It’s so cute!'”

Their first match in four years came down to the wire, with the Russian emerging victorious after a final set tie-break and going on to finish runner-up in her first singles final since June. A tough loss in Australian Open qualifying ultimately led to her first wins of the season in Launceston, an important step in her singles comeback.

And guess who we play in the next match? pic.twitter.com/JkWUa47JWI

— Alla Kudryavtseva (@AllaK11) February 5, 2016

“They say hard work pays off, but unfortunately, I haven’t ever really felt that. It probably does pay off in the long run, but you want that instant gratification, and for the results to come faster.

“So it was actually nice to get some early singles results, because there has been a certain degree of insecurity. I’ve asked, ‘Am I doing the right thing? There is Dubai and Doha, a lot of doubles points to defend, money to make.’ Your coach is there to help you look at the bigger picture, and you trust that person, but you can’t help but have some doubts.

“Being in the finals of Launceston was a reminder that I really can do it. I can be out on the court for three hours, compete and run and cover the whole court – not just half!”

Active as ever on social media, Kudryavtseva enjoyed having the news of her resurgence hand-delivered – in 140 characters or less.

“The result helped me jump those 49 spots. Someone told me that on Twitter; I love how fans tell you where your ranking goes, or sometimes they’ll let you know things like, ‘Hey, did you know you lost your last nine matches on clay?’ You’ll reply like, ‘No, I didn’t know that, but thanks! That’ll give me confidence!'”

A brief respite allowed the Russian to recharge ahead of a six-week stretch in the States, first a flight to another Challenger in Rancho Santa Fe – where she is due to play King in the second round – then the chance for a singles wildcard in Indian Wells qualies should she win the BNP Paribas Open’s pre-qualifying tournament.

Certainly prefer to be on the same side of the court with this amazing fighter…. pic.twitter.com/GGufk2Uhn2

— Alla Kudryavtseva (@AllaK11) February 6, 2016

“Tennis is tennis, and singles is singles, and I’m just trying to get as many matches and as much confidence as I can. I thought it was a good opportunity for me to play, especially considering that during those four weeks of Indian Wells and Miami, it’s unlikely I’ll get to play any singles otherwise.”

Two months into her turnaround season, the OG Austin Ace is indeed getting her groove back, surrounded by a supportive team and making new strides both personally and professionally.

“It’s great to have friends on tour. It’s even greater to be playing doubles with your friends on tour. I think I have a really nice thing going; my coach is great, my doubles partner is great, her coach is great. We’re laughing all the time; even when we’re not together, we’re still messaging, keeping in touch.

“It’s just nice to have those kinds of connections, like when it was Vania’s birthday, we went out for dinner in Launceston; two days later it was her coach Tarik Benhabiles’ birthday too; he was my old coach, as well, and so we went out for dinner again! It’s just been a really good time.

“Life on tour is hard, there’s a lot of pressure, travel, and stress. It’s nice to have people who are there for you and give you hugs, even before you have play each other the next day. Results are important, but I think as long as I keep this energy, results will manifest.”

Catch up on the first installment of Insider Diaries here and follow Alla on Twitter @AllaK11!