INDIAN WELLS, California—The women’s draw was flung wide open late Monday night as reigning US Open champion Kim Clijsters joined the seeded exodus from Indian Wells after suffering a surprising defeat at the hands of Alisa Kleybanova. Earlier in the evening, third seed Victoria Azarenka was also dismissed from the singles tournament in straight sets 7-6(4), 6-2 by Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez.
Clijsters’ upset was surprising, but not unexpected as Kleybanova has quickly developed into one of the most promising Russians rising through the ranks.
This year’s BNP Paribas Open has been a rocky road for the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour’s finest stars. Venus and Serena Williams continued their customary absences, but with nearly a week to go before Sunday’s final, most of the top players in the world have already begun packing their bags for Miami’s Sony Ericsson Open.
Justine Henin was an early casualty, followed by top seed Svetlana Kuznetsova. Maria Sharapova bade farewell last night, joined quickly by Azarenka and Clijsters today. In the middle of the chaos, other familiar names such as Daniela Hantuchova, Ana Ivanovic and Na Li have also exited in the draw.
Leading the charge into the fourth round of play is fourth seed Elena Dementieva, a player who has struggled to deliver her best tennis when it masters most. Here in Indian Wells, she has a golden opportunity to win her third title of the year. Jelena Jankovic, another perennial struggler, can also rebound from her slump with a good run in the desert. A slew of other players have the potential to go deep at this tournament including defending champion Vera Zvonareva, Samantha Stosur, Marion Bartoli, and of course, Clijsters’ vanquisher, Kleybanova.
When asked if she believes that the women’s game has more depth than when she first retired, Clijsters agreed.
“I really think so,” Clijsters said after her match. “I remember in the past when I used to go to Grand Slams, and I think my first two, three rounds, I think they were always kind of easy. I think now it’s definitely not the case anymore. Every match you really have to go out there and fight, and I think it’s something that is good for the sport.”
“I think it’s obviously a mental battle from the beginning, from the first round you play Grand Slams, those seven matches, it’s something that’s challenging,” Clijsters continued.
“It makes the players who are mentally ready and physically ready, it makes those stand out. And those are the ones at the end of the trip or end of the tournament will keep standing.”
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So sad to bad…Justin and Kim OUT:>) Vitka and Maria OUT:>)