By Erik Gudris | Friday, March 13, 2015
Serena Williams made a winning return to Indian Wells after not playing the event for 14 years.
Photo Credit: Christopher Levy
The Friday night match at the BNP Paribas Open between World No. 1 Serena Williams and Monica Niculescu of Romania felt like more was at stake than just a place in the tournament's third round. Despite it being not always a high quality contest, it was ultimately Williams who ended making a winning statement with a personal victory.
Indian Wells: Halep, Radwanska Advance
Both Serena and Venus Williams had boycotted the Indian Wells event since 2001. It was in that year that Serena Williams won the final over Kim Clijsters in a match marred by racial epithets from some members of the crowd.
That was why Serena Williams surprised many when she announced just after winning the Australian Open in January that she would return to Indian Wells for the first time in 14 years.
Williams later said that the night and the match were one of the proudest of her career even if she doesn't win the event.
"I think it falls super high up," she told a room full of reporters after the match as flashbulbs clicked repetitively. "It's Definitely up there. Really close. Probably the best, because it's interesting to say that I feel like I've already won this tournament. I don't feel like I have to actually hold the trophy at the end of this.
"I feel like I'm already holding up a trophy. I have never felt that way before. I feel like, you know, just being here is a huge win. Not only for me, but for so many people. It's a wonderful feeling."
As anticipation and reaction grew over Williams' return, the fact remained she still had an opening round match to play. In this case, a first-time meeting against Niculescu who is one of the tour's most unconventional players.
Williams walked out onto stadium court greeted by a warm welcome from the crowd. But Williams could barely contain her emotions as she started putting her things near her chair. Williams' nervousness was palpable during her opening service game as she committed several errors leading to an early break for Niculescu.
Niculescu, who prefers to hit slice forehands and off-pace shots, did little to help Williams settle in and find her groove on court. Both women traded breaks of serve throughout the set that featured only one winner from Niculescu - a trademark slice forehand drop shot winner. Williams, unable to take control of the match, often looked exasperated and frustrated at her sub-par play.
While Niculescu would serve for the set up 5-4, better returning from Williams allowed the top seed to break back for 5-all. Williams would take the lead again for 6-5. Trying to force a tiebreak, Niculescu made a bad judgment call when she challenged what clearly was a line clipping winner from Williams. That miscue gave Williams a set point that she converted with a backhand down the line winner.
With a roar of relief, Williams walked to her chair with the first set 7-5.
The second set, however, would not get any easier for Williams who promptly dropped her serve to start. Williams would connect for more winners but still found herself troubled by Niculescu's off-putting lack of pace in her groundstrokes. Niculescu fought off several break points against her to hold for 3-all and looked possibly ready to perhaps take advantage of a still reeling Williams.
Up 5-4, Williams tried to end the match and get off the court on her terms. Looking calmer than she had all night, Williams found better returns that gave her two match points. Still, a pair of backhand errors forced Williams to play on as Niculescu held for 5-all.
Williams held serve and that forced Niculescu again to serve for a tiebreak. Once again, Williams with potent returning found herself with two more match points. Williams netted a forehand on the first one. Yet, on the second one, Williams finally struck a stinging backhand that Niculescu up at net couldn't handle.
With that, Williams celebrated the 7-5, 7-5 win.
In a match that was more about the moment than anything, the final stats are interesting but only tell half the story. Williams struck 42 winners and 48 unforced errors. Niculescu hit just eight winners total and 29 unforced.
"Yeah, surprisingly I felt really good on the court, even though the crowd was at the beginning it was…I had so many emotions because I saw the crowd like standing up when Serena came on the court," Niculescu reflected afterwards on the match. 'But I felt good. I felt good. I'm happy that I could play my game."
"I've never played anyone like her before. I was really struggling to find my rhythm but she's obviously an unbelievable fighter," Williams said about her opponent. "She made me work really hard today so it was good to have a really, really tough match."
The return of Serena Williams prompted many fans to also make the trip to the Southern California desert in hopes of catching a glimpse of the World No. 1. A young girl in the stands who brought her own sign of support for Williams got the chance to meet the tennis superstar afterwards.
Williams will next face Zarina Diyas in the next round.