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Indian Wells' Notes Day One
By Richard Pagliaro
Photo Credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve
(March 10, 2010) INDIAN WELLS — Opening day of play offered a throwback theme.
Five former top 10 players — Justine Henin, Patty Schnyder, Jelena Dokic, Kimiko Date-Krumm and Alicia Molik — played their first-round BNP Paribas Open matches with four of the five veterans advancing to round two.
Making her first Indian Wells appearance in four years, Henin swept Magdalena Rybarikova, 6-2, 6-2, to set up a second-round meeting with 31st-seeded Argentine Gisela Dulko. Henin beat Dulko, 6-3, 6-2, in the 2006 Indian Wells quarterfinals. Should she advance, the Belgian wild card would likely face either fifth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska or Anna Chakvetadze in the third round. Chakvetadze looked mentally lost for one set, but found her focus and her game (though her serve is still MIA as she committed 10 double faults) to dispatch Anne Keothavong, 2-6, 6-3, 6-1.
In a match of 30-somethings, the 31-year-old Schnyder stomped 32-year-old Tathiana Garbin in 57 minutes. Wild card Molik did not face a break point in a 6-1, 6-3 triumph over Tatjana Malek to set up a second-round match with 29th-seeded Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues.
Date-Krumm continues to guzzle from tennis' fountain of youth as the 39-year-old Japanese converted five of six break points in a 6-2, 6-2 conquest of Hungary's Melinda Czink. Date-Krumm will face animated Italian Francesca Schiavone, the No. 15 seed, in the second round.
Dokic was not nearly as successful. The former World No. 4 committed nine double faults in a 6-0, 6-3 loss to Vera Dushevina. It was a sullen effort from Dokic, who played anxious tennis in the 49-minute loss.
Two years ago, the younger set took their turn at the top of tennis.
Ana Ivanovic, who lost to Henin in the 2007 French Open final, bounced back to beat Dinara Safina and rule Roland Garros in 2008. Ivanovic, compatriot Jelena Jankovic and Safina have each held the No. 1 ranking since Henin's retirement.
While those three women have alternately strutted and fretted their moments on the big stage it is the veterans — Serena, Venus Williams, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Kim Clijsters — who have walked off with the Grand Slam silverware in recent years. Henin came within five games of capturing her eighth major and suggested today there is no substitute for experience.
“There are generations for sure: the old one, and I’m part of it, and the young one coming pretty strong,” Henin said. “Of course, the experience makes the difference. I’m sure it’s gonna be interesting. Alot of good players are coming. I’m sure they can make it. When? I don’t know. We’ll see.”
Li Na and Jie Zheng made history in giving China two of the four Australian Open semifinalists for the first time in January.
Both women reside in the same section of the quarter at Indian Wells and could face off in the fourth round though the 18th-seeded Zheng will likely have to beat 10th-seeded Maria Sharapova to get there.
Li hasn't had a lot of time to revel in her Melbourne moment with friends and family. That's because she's barely stepped foot on Chinese soil this season.
"I stayed in Melbourne for a few days (after the Australian Open) so until now I only have 36 hours in China this year," a smiling Li said.
She opened the season aiming to crack the top 10 for the first time and achieved that feat last month to become the first Chinese top 10 player in history. That result has prompted Li, who battled a back injury after Melbourne, to revise her goals.
"Before Melbourne, I would say (making the) top 10 is my goal," Li said. "Now hopefully, I can do more and play the (season-ending WTA Tour) Championships by the end of the year."
Interestingly, Li has lost to the eventual Indian Wells champion in her last two appearances in the desert. She fell to Daniela Hantuchova in the 2007 semifinals and lost to 2009 champ Vera Zvonareva in the round of 16 last year.
"I always play well here," Li said. "I lost two times to the winner so hopefully I can play the same level as I did in Melbourne. It was a good experience for me in Melbourne. I feel more confident so I trust myself more, but I know it's tough because everyone is now looking for me and wants to beat me."
Americans will take center stage on the stadium court on Thursday. In a clash of qualifiers, Coral Springs, Florida resident Shenay Perry will play Crotia's Karolina Sprem.
Another American qualifier, Tim Smyczek, faces former World No. 1 Carlos Moya in the second stadium match.
Melanie Oudin, the highest-ranked American woman in the field, takes on Italy's Roberta Vince in her opening-round match on stadium court. The US Open quarterfinalist already got a feel for the stadium as she partnered Perry in a 6-4, 7-5 doubles loss to the fifth-seeded tandem of Alisa Kleybanova and Franchesca Schiavone this afternoon.
Mardy Fish, who beat World No. 1 Roger Federer in the 2008 semifinals before falling to Novak Djokovic, will face Federer's practice partner, big-serving German Michael Berrer, in Thursday afternoon's final stadium court match.
Taylor Dent and 17-year-old compatriot Ryan Harrison square off at 7 p.m. The pair partnered in Delray Beach two weeks ago reaching the semifinals and pushing the eventual-champion Bryan brothers to three sets before losing.
Bethanie Mattek-Sands plays Yaroslava Shevdova in the final match on stadium court tomorrow night.
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