The BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., features one of the strongest draws on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour outside of the Majors. Seventeen of the top 20 players are there, the exceptions being the Williams sisters and Dinara Safina.
This year’s tournament also has seven former champions in the field: Daniela Hantuchova (2002 and 2007), Kim Clijsters (2003 and 2005), Justine Henin (2004), Maria Sharapova (2006), Ana Ivanovic (2008) and Vera Zvonareva (2009).
The top seed, Svetlana Kuznetsova, has had her share of success at the tournament as well, making the finals in 2007 and 2008. There are plenty of dangerous players in her quarter of the draw determined not to see that happen again with either recent Malaysian Open champ Alisa Kleybanova or two-time Indian Wells winner Clijsters as a potential fourth-round opponent. In the bottom half of that quarter, hard-court standouts Flavia Pennetta and Jelena Jankovic are looking for their first titles of the year and could both make a deep run here.
Caroline Wozniacki, the second seed from Denmark, hasn’t sustained the momentum from last year’s U.S. Open run to the finals, but did reach a career-high ranking of three this year. Na Li—who has beaten her twice this year—looms as a possible quarterfinal opponent. Neither of them have easy paths ahead, though: Wozniacki could see Maria Kirilenko, Alona Bondarenko or Nadia Petrova early on, while Li’s most dangerous early-round opponent would have to be three-time Grand Slam winner and former BNP Paribas Open champ Sharapova.
Speaking of former Indian Wells champs, they appear to have congregated in third-seed Victoria Azarenka’s quarter as Hantuchova, Ivanovic and Zvonareva stand in her path to the title. Veteran Elena Dementieva, the fourth seed, hasn’t won here before but did make the finals in 2006 and has won two titles already in 2010. Big-hitting youngsters Agnieszka Radwanska, Aravene Rezai and Sabine Lisicki, as well as stylish veterans Francesca Schiavone and Marion Bartoli, look to win their first Premier Mandatory event at Dementieva’s expense.
Suffice it to say, former champs, up-and-comers and dangerous floaters make the draw at the BNP Paribas Open a star-studded affair and promise an even hotter time in the desert.
Who do you think will win the 2010 BNP Paribas Open women’s title? Leave a comment or send a reply on Twitter to @OnTheBaseline!
Van Sias publishes the blog, Tennis Talk, Anyone, which takes a look at all aspects of the professional and amateur game.
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I think Justine has a very good shot at winning the tournament
Only one winner here; JUSTINE HENIN. Absolutely different class to the rest!
I was the only one to pick Vera Zvonarëva last year, and look how that worked out! So I’ll go with her again to defend her title successfully, as she did at Pattaya City last month.
Vera had a terrible 10 months with that nasty ankle-injury she suffered last April, but she seems to be back on track at last.
Looking at the draw, I’m hoping the final will be a rematch of the amazing Henin-Dementieva match we saw in Melbourne in Jan. I think there’s a reasonable chance this could transpire and, if it does, I’d pick Elena to take revenge.
But whoever makes the final, it’s just great to see such an exciting field outside of the Slams. Such a shame that Venus and Serena continue to boycott this tournament… though I understand their reasons for doing so, and respect their decision, it would have been amazing to see 19 of the top 20 (Safina is out due to injury) competing for the title this year. Oh well, should be a great two weeks nonetheless.
Well, Henin’s out in the second round: she lost 6-2 1-6 6-4 to Gisela Dulko!