The BNP Paribas Open in
Indian Wells has always held a special place in my heart. As a child, I
remember watching the tournament, then known as the Pacific Life Open, and
saying to my parents, “I am going to go there some day!” My intrigue for the
tournament was not solely based on the world-class tennis that was exhibited during
the two-week event. Moreover, the pristine facility, the gorgeous 360-degree
mountain views, and the thrilling atmosphere are the features that fostered my
love for Indian Wells. On March 10, my dream of attending the BNP Paribas Open
became a reality. In this blog I will present my overall thoughts on attending tennis’
“5th Major” for the first time.
Venturing to the Indian Wells
Tennis Garden midway through the afternoon Monday, I couldn’t help but notice the breathtaking scenery and tournament facilities. In addition to the mountain
views, which provide a one-of-a-kind backdrop, the sheer magnitude of the
Indian Wells Tennis Garden left me in amazement. Despite religiously attending
the U.S. Open for the past six years, nothing could have prepared me for what I
experienced at the BNP Paribas Open.
When entering the tournament
gates, the first feature I acknowledged was the intimacy of the facility.
Unlike any tournament I have attended previously, the BNP Paribas Open allows
spectators to get up-close with the players. For example, making my way to the
practice courts, I almost had a run in with the worlds No. 10 Frenchmen Jo-Wilfred
Tsonga! A majority of the 20 practice courts provide courtside seating for fans
to marvel in the ability of their favorite players. Furthermore, with the
practice courts being side-by-side to one another, I was able to observe
several of the worlds best at one time.
Making my way to the outer
practice courts, I spotted the hard-hitting Belgian, Yanina Wickmayer on
Practice Court 8. The world No. 56 was practicing her serve, which in my
opinion should be more of a weapon given her height. While watching Wickmayer,
I thought to myself, “Why hasn’t she left for Miami yet?” The Belgian fell in
the second round to Czech player, Lucie Safarova three days prior.
Practicing beside Wickmayer
on Practice Court 9 was the red-hot Romanian, Simona Halep. Halep has shown
great form in recent months, making her first grand slam quarterfinal at the
Australian Open, and winning the biggest title of her career in Doha last
month. Since Halep made her breakthrough in 2010, I have been impressed with
her game. Halep is a great mover, with solid groundstrokes and a decent serve
given her diminutive build. Unfortunately, Halep’s practice session ended
shortly after I arrived; however, the quality of the session is definitely
indicative of her recent success on the WTA Tour.
As I was leaving the practice
courts, I noticed two male tennis players enjoying a game of Frisbee on the
field adjacent to Stadium 1. Despite being eliminated from the singles event, Americans
Sam Querrey and Steve Johnson displayed their strong Frisbee skills for fans. Spectators
who attend the event often see players warming up or playing a pick-up game of
soccer on this field. Even though I was excited to see Querrey and Johnson, I
was disappointed in the lack of players present on the field.
The event’s intimacy didn’t
end at the practice courts. Next to the Tennis Channel Desk is the Stadium
Plaza. The Stadium Plaza allows spectators to sit back and watch the matches on
Stadiums 1-3. For those who were unable to watch the matches inside the stadium
courts, the plaza is the perfect spot to enjoy the exciting atmosphere without
missing a minute of the action.
Spectators who were on the grounds at the
conclusion of the day session experienced quite a blockbuster. The fourth and
final match of the day session on Stadium 1 was the hotly contested match
between Rafael Nadal and Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov. Prior to the match,
most fans, myself included, expected Nadal to win easily in straight sets. In
their five previous meetings, Dolgopolov never managed to take a set off of
Nadal. Much to the spectators’ surprise, the match that transpired was far from
the expected result.
When Nadal dropped the
opening set to Dolgopolov, the murmurs began amongst the spectators. Sitting in
one of the dining areas just outside the brand new Stadium 2, I noticed
spectators beginning to rush to the nearest television to watch the conclusion
of what might be a potential upset. When Nadal forced a third and final set, the
crowd both inside and outside of Stadium 1 let out a huge roar. What the fans
didn’t realize was the best tennis of the match was yet to come.
Most lower-ranked players,
when they are on the verge of an upset crumble under the pressure. Dolgopolov
played inspired tennis, rushing out to a 5-2 lead in the decider. During the
changeover, I asked myself, “Can he actually win this match?” Coming into the
match, Dolgopolov had four top-10 victories, over Robin Soderling, Jo-Wilfred
Tsonga, and David Ferrer twice. However, after a shaky service game at 5-3,
Nadal would level the match at 5-all. After relatively easy holds from both
players, the match would reach its ultimate stage, a final set tiebreak. The
heavily Nadal-favored crowd was at the edge of their seats, liking his chances
of winning the match.
After exchanging service
points, Nadal would go up 4-2 in the tiebreaker. The spectators sitting around
me in the dining area could sense victory. However, Dolgopolov with an
impressive inside-out forehand and two unreturned serves, the Ukrainian had his
first lead of the tiebreaker 5-4. At 5-5, Nadal would miss a routine forehand
approach shot, leaving the crowd stunned. Dolgopolov would step up the service
line, with a chance to serve out the match. In that moment I said to myself,
“He is going to hit an ace.” After a powerful first serve up the tee, what was
originally called an ace was challenged by Nadal. Unaware of the challenge, the
fans were already applauding the Ukrainian on the upset. Shockingly, the
challenge revealed the serve was out by one millimeter! The crowd’s applause
quickly became a collective laughter because of how close the call was. Following
a slight grin, Dolgopolov was able to refocus and close out the match with
another aggressive inside-out forehand. Even though I would have loved to be
inside Stadium 1 to watch the match, the experience I had sitting with
countless tennis-lovers is something that I will remember for the rest of my
life.
After several hours of waiting,
it was finally time to head inside Stadium 1 and watch some court-side action! Walking
into Stadium 1, my first impression was how large, yet intimate the stadium
was. As the second-largest tennis stadium in the world, the 16,100 seat Stadium
1 doesn’t have a bad seat in the house. Similar to the U.S. Open, spectators
are able to clearly see the ball, whether they are court-side, or in the last
row of the grandstand.
The night session began with
former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic against talented American Sloane Stephens.
Ivanovic and Stephens have played twice before, at the U.S. Open, with both
meetings going in favor of the Serb. Entering the match, I liked Stephens chances of
pulling off the upset. Despite struggling in the tournaments leading up to
Indian Wells, Stephens played well in her first match in the desert, dispatching
talented Croat Ajla Tomljanovic 6-4 6-0. Ivanovic, on the other hand, struggled
in her opening match against Elina Svitolina of the Ukraine, having to fight
hard to win in a third-set tiebreaker.
Analyzing the playing styles
of Ivanovic and Stephens, both players possess similar strengths and
weaknesses. They have arguably the two biggest forehands in the game, as well
as above average serves, which can get them out of trouble. Conversely,
Ivanovic more so than Stephens, struggles on the backhand wing. Both players’
backhands are more of a rally shot than one that can produce winners.
Throughout the match, despite
the close score line, Stephens was the better player. Even though Stephens
failed to execute on several easy put away shots, the American constructed the
points well, using her forehand to dictate play. Ivanovic looked unsettled
throughout the match, which was the result of Stephens’s strong play. Even with
the crowd strongly supporting the Serb; Ivanovic was never able to establish
any sort of momentum. As a result, Stephens eliminated Ivanovic in 1 hour and
42 minutes, 7-6(3) 6-4.
Overall, my experience at the
BNP Paribas Open far exceeded my expectations. The Indian Wells Tennis Garden
offers tennis fans the first-class tennis of a grand slam, with the intimacy of
a smaller professional tournament. The facility was the perfect place to enjoy
the sport that I love. I strongly recommended that you attend this tournament
at least once in your lifetime. The BNP Paribas Open definitely lives up to “The
5th Major” nickname.
How do you feel about the BNP
Paribas Open? In the future, should it become the 5th major? Let me know
in the Comments Section.
In my next blog, I will
discuss Roger Federer chances of winning additional titles.
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to continue sharing my thoughts on tennis with you!
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