Indian Wells: Wednesday Highlights
Highlights from first round action at the BNP Paribas Open.
Highlights from first round action at the BNP Paribas Open.
TOKYO, Japan – Japanese wildcard Naomi Osaka scored her first win at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in emphatic fashion, knocking out Japan’s No.1 Misaki Doi in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4.
Following her first round win at last week’s Japan Women’s Open Tennis, Osaka entered the Premier-level event on a career-high ranking of No.69, making her Japan’s No.2-ranked player. But across the net stood the Japanese No.1, who was looking to rebound from last week’s opening round loss.
Osaka blasted seven aces in her stellar performance against Doi. Both players were evenly matched throughout the one and a half hour encounter, but it was Osaka who dominated the big points, bringing up five break chances and converting two – one early in each set.
For her part, Doi did her best to stay within touching distance of the 18-year-old, but couldn’t find the weapons to put her under pressure. She brought up her first – and only – break opportunity late in the second set with Osaka serving for a 5-3 lead. Osaka batted it away with a zinging forehand down the line to stay on course.
A final ace sealed Osaka’s passage into the second round, where she awaits the winner between Lucie Safarova and No.6 seed Dominika Cibulkova.
More to come…
Former US Open champion Samantha Stosur has accepted a last-minute wildcard into next week’s Taiwan Open.
Daniela Hantuchova had Thursday’s shot of the day at the BNP Paribas Open.
After correcting a misguided reporter who thought she was playing sister Venus in the semifinals, Serena Williams looks ahead to her match against Mirjana Lucic-Baroni.
An interview with Simona Halep after her win in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open.
Surprise contender Mirjana Lucic-Baroni takes on world No.2 Serena Williams in the semifinal of the Australia Open. We preview the match.
An interview with Eugenie Bouchard after her second round win at the BNP Paribas Open.
The SAP Analytics for Coaches App has quickly become an essential tool for coaches and players through all three stages of a tennis match. Before the players even hit the court, the analytic insight gives teams an insider perspective on how to strategize for any given match.
“I look at the SAP app to see how the opponent is serving, how she’s placing the ball, and what she’s doing at crucial times,” said Torben Beltz, coach to World No.1 Angelique Kerber. “We try to focus on that to get Angie ready for the match.”
“We sit down together before the match to discuss the tactics against the next opponent,” Kerber added. “He’s able to explain with the technology where I can have more chances to go for it, and see how my opponents have been playing their matches that week.”
Watch the video above to hear how Kerber, Lucie Safarova, and Daria Gavrilova – in concert with their coaching teams – use SAP Tennis Analytics prepare for a match.
Ana Ivanovic takes on Camila Giorgi in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open.