Jelena will move back up to #8 in Monday's WTA rankings; Carolina will reach a new career high at #2. Both Jelena and Caroline had slow starts this season, with over half of their wins in 2010 coming in the past nine days:
is now 12-11 in WTA singles finals; she won in Cincinnati and Marbella last year, and in Rome, Beijing, Stuttgart, and Moscow in 2008, and ended 2008 ranked # 1 in the WTA. Jelena has a 11-4 match record this year.
is now 6-7 in WTA singles finals; she won the New Haven, Eastbourne and Ponte Vedra Beach titles last year, and reached the finals at Madrid, Charleston, Memphis & Bastad. Caroline has a 9-4 match record in 2010.
WTA SCOREBOARD: The BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells
BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, California
Indian Wells: The main draw for this 96-player, two week, seven round tourney has 32 seeds, with 32 1st-round byes. There are 12 qualifiers and 8 wild cards in the main draw. Qualifying (2 rounds) starts on Monday, qualifying finals are on Tuesday. Main draw play begins on Wednesday.
2010: On Wednesday, March 10, at the Indian Wells press "All Access Hour," Samantha Stosur told ace reporter Cari Champion of The Tennis Channel that palm trees were actually invented in Australia, and Vika Azarenka explained to Cari why the "rock, paper, scissors" thing should be used to decide who serves first...top seed Svetlana Kuznetsova also alerted the media on Wednesday, as did high seeds Caroline Wozniacki, Agnieszka Radwanska, Na Li (shyly singing The Theme from Star Wars, translating the complex Bill Murray lyrics into Chinese on the spot), Elena Dementieva, and Jelena Jankovic...
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2010: Young ladies looking good the Indian Wells player party on Thursday, March 11, included 2008 champion Ana Ivanovic, Sorana Cirstea, 2004 champ Justine Henin, 2002 & 2007 champ Daniela Hantuchova, Elena Dementieva, row 2: Alicia Molik, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Jelena Jankovic, and Kim Clijsters...
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2010: Sorana Cirstea, Edina Gallovits, Agnieszka Radwanska, and Agnes Szavay
did the part-time supermodel thing at the Indian Wells fashion show on Saturday...
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Indian Wells, 1st Rd, Wed-Thu 11am
loser's prize: $7,050; points: 5
*#69 Julia Goerges GER d #38 Lucie Safarova CZE 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 Thu
#39 Virginie Razzano FRA d #73 Kristina Barrois GER 6-3, 6-4 Wed
#40 Sorana Cirstea ROU d #97 Kaia Kanepi EST 6(1)-7, 6-3, 6-4 Wed
*#58 Roberta Vinci ITA d #41 Melanie Oudin USA 3-6, 6-3, 6-0 Thu
Roberta serving to Melanie, Melanie driving a forehand, and Roberta fielding one
#42 Carla Suarez Navarro ESP d #84 Alizé Cornet FRA 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 Thu
#43 Vera Dushevina RUS d #101 Jelena Dokic AUS 6-0, 6-3 Wed
*#66 Barbora Zahlavova Strycova CZE d #44 Andrea Petkovic GER 6-3, 6-3 Thu
*#133 wc Bethanie Mattek-Sands USA d #45 Yaroslava Shvedova KAZ 7-5, 7-5 Thu
Bethanie and Yaroslava watching their serves fly
*#62 Kimiko Date Krumm JPN d #46 Melinda Czink HUN 6-2, 6-2 Wed
Kimiko and Melinda driving backhand and forehand
#47 Sybille Bammer AUT d #411 sr20 Katarina Srebotnik SLO 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 Thu
#48 Patty Schnyder SUI d #56 Tathiana Garbin ITA 6-1, 6-2 Wed
Patty and Tathiana driving forehand and backhand, and Patty watching her serve fly
#49 Sara Errani ITA d #99 q Viktoriya Kutuzova UKR 7-5, 6-2 Thu
#50 Olga Govortsova BLR d #52 Iveta Benesova CZE 6-0, 4-6, 7-6(8) Wed
#51 Alexandra Dulgheru ROU d #116 q Michelle Larcher de Brito POR 6-2, 6-2 Thu
#53 Polona Hercog SLO d #80 Ioana Raluca Olaru ROU 7-5, 6-4 Wed
*#NR wc Justine Henin BEL d #54 Magdalena Rybarikova SVK 6-2, 6-2 Wed
Justine driving a forehand, Magda about to swat a serve, and Justine running down another forehand
Justine said: "It was a very good feeling. This is a tournament I like a lot. It's been a break of one month with no competition so I was glad the way I went into the match today. Not everything was perfect, but I found a pretty good rhythm and felt I could go a lot to the net and I felt really good on the court, actually...
"I still think I need a few more tournaments. In Australia I proved to myself that I could make it, that I didn't really need a lot of competition to be at a pretty good level. But I see further than that. For the French Open and Wimbledon I hope I can be at my best level." AP story
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*#77 Kirsten Flipkens BEL d #55 Timea Bacsinszky SUI 7-6(4), 6(5)-7, 6-1 Wed
#57 Shuai Peng CHN d #59 Ekaterina Makarova RUS 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 Wed
#61 Petra Kvitova CZE d #71 Alberta Brianti ITA 6-3, 6-4 Thu
*#97 q Yung-Jan Chan TPE d #63 Stefanie Voegele SUI 6-0, 7-5 Thu
#64 q Elena Baltacha GBR d #152 wc Alexa Glatch USA 6-3, 6(3)-7, 6-4 Wed
*#747 q Sloane Stephens USA d #67 Lucie Hradecka CZE 7-6(5), 7-6(7) Thu
Sloane while playing a juniors match at the US Open on September 9, 2009
16-year-old Sloane trailed 3-6 in the 2nd set tiebreaker, and hit an ace to reach 6-all.
Sloane said: "I wasn't getting nervous. [Lucie] started playing a lot more. Before, she was hitting a lot of balls off the court and I was waiting for the error. She made me play at the end." AP story
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#70 Anna Chakvetadze RUS d #123 sr55 Anne Keothavong GBR 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 Wed
#72 Anastasija Sevastova LAT d #140 q Nuria Llagostera Vives ESP 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 Thu
#74 Vania King USA d #206 wc Christina McHale USA 7-5, 6-3 Wed
Vania following a forehand
#75 LL Tamarine Tanasugarn THA d #130 q Edina Gallovits ROU 6-2, 6-3 Wed
#76 q Petra Martic CRO d #224 wc Alja Tomljanovic CRO 7-6(4), 6-1 Thu
*#138 wc Alicia Molik AUS d #78 Tatjana Malek GER 6-1, 6-3 Wed
#82 Jill Craybas USA d #192 wc Eleni Daniilidou GRE 6-0, 7-5 Wed
#88 Julie Coin FRA d #175 wc Tamira Paszek AUT 6-4, 6-3 Thu
#93 Karolina Sprem CRO d #103 Shenay Perry USA 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 Thu
Karolina and Shenay following forehands
*#126 q Tsvetana Pironkova BUL d #98 q Akgul Amanmuradova UZB 6-3, 6-2 Thu
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Indian Wells, 2nd Rd, Fri-Sat 11am Fri WTA story - Sat WTA story
loser's prize: $11,500; points: 50
*#42 Carla Suarez Navarro ESP d #3 s1 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 Sat
Svetlana and Carla driving forehand and backhand
Asked why she played deeper behind the baseline than other players, Carla said: "When I play in big courts, normally I go back. But I think it's my style, because if I play in, I don't have so [much] power to play with the big players." postmatch interview
Svetlana said: "Normally I'm pretty comfortable playing [Carla]. I just didn't do anything today. I did some points, and some I didn't... I know I have the game, and I play unbelievable in practice, and then when I get to the match I don't do much." postmatch interview - WTA story
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#4 s2 Caroline Wozniacki DEN d #74 Vania King USA 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 Fri
Vania and Caroline driving backhands
Caroline said: "It was a tough match. Vania was playing really well and I hadn't played a match in some time, but I'm happy that I fought through... I got a lot of balls in play today, ran a lot and tried a little bit of everything. I went from playing well to not so well, to playing okay again. Hopefully that can help make me stronger in the next round and going forward." postmatch interview
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#6 s3 Victoria Azarenka BLR d #47 Sybille Bammer AUT 6-1, 7-5 Sat Azarenka postmatch interview
Victoria and Sybille driving forehands, and Vika's backhand drive
#7 s4 Elena Dementieva RUS d #50 Olga Govortsova BLR 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 Fri
Elena and Olga driving forehand and backhand
#8 s5 Agnieszka Radwanska POL d #70 Anna Chakvetadze RUS 6-2, 5-3 retired—left ankle injury Fri
Agnieszka driving a forehand, and Anna following one
#9 s6 Jelena Jankovic SRB d #76 q Petra Martic CRO 6-3, 7-6(2) Sat
Petra about to connect with a forehand, and Jelena's backhand drive
*#64 q Elena Baltacha GBR d #10 s7 Na Li CHN 7-6(8), 2-6, 7-6(7) Fri
Elena and Na driving forehand and backhand
Na was unable to win despite having 5-1 lead in the 3rd set tiebreaker.
Elena said: "From about 4-all [in the 3rd set], I felt like I was the one in control. We had that game that was deuce/advantage for quite a while. I think it was at 5-4. I really felt like it was okay. I'm playing much better, and I'm really in control and I'm really going for everything and I'm playing really well.
"And as the tiebreak started, [Na] just came out with unbelievable stuff. I think she hit four backhand winners down the line. And I thought, 'Okay, yeah, that is why you're top 10. I understand.'
"But then at 5-1, my focus, just I went into the zone and I felt really strong and I just fought my heart out. And then, I mean, I couldn't believe. I was stunned on match point." postmatch interview
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#11 s8 Samantha Stosur AUS d #88 Julie Coin FRA 6-1, 7-6(4) Sat
#12 s9 Flavia Pennetta ITA d #61 Petra Kvitova CZE 6-3, 6-3 Sat
Flavia following a backhand
#13 s10 Maria Sharapova RUS d #43 Vera Dushevina RUS 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 Fri
Maria and Vera driving forehands, and Maria's backhand drive
Maria said: "I started really slowly. I was kind of giving [Vera] the match, to be honest, and wasn't doing anything but making errors... I had the same situation against Kirilenko in Australia and didn't win those few points. She was two points from winning the match today and I was able to turn things around—I definitely started playing better towards the end of the match, and that's what counts the most." postmatch interview
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#14 s11 Marion Bartoli FRA d #53 Polona Hercog SLO 6-4, 6-2 Fri
#15 s12 Vera Zvonareva RUS d #747 q Sloane Stephens USA 6-4, 7-5 Sat
Sloane serving, and Vera fielding a forehand
2009 Indian Wells champion Vera said: "I think [Sloane is] a very good player already. She's very young, but she's got the game... She's definitely a tough one, and I think if she keeps working hard she's got a great future ahead of her." postmatch interview
Sloane said: "I learned that I can stick like with these girls... [In the 2nd set, Vera] was looping, and then she hit some slow serves and hard serves, and she mixed it up a lot in the second. I was up and had some chances... She's a world-class player. She won this tournament, so she knows what she's doing." postmatch interview
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#16 s13 Yanina Wickmayer BEL d #69 Julia Goerges GER 6-2, 6-4 Sat Wickmayer postmatch interview
#17 s14 Kim Clijsters BEL d #66 Barbora Zahlavova Strycova CZE 6-2, 6-1 Sat Clijsters postmatch interview
Kim driving a backhand, and Barbora about to a forehand—while doing Clijsters-style splits
Kim said: "I felt good out there today. Legs felt good, fresh. It's important in a match like this, to get through without wasting too much time, but also getting a good rhythm."
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#18 s15 Francesca Schiavone ITA d #62 Kimiko Date Krumm JPN 6-3, 6-4 Fri
Francesca driving a forehand, and Kimiko's backhand drive
#19 s16 Nadia Petrova RUS d #48 Patty Schnyder SUI 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 Fri
Nadia ready to slice a backhand, and Patty about to connect with a forehand drive
#20 s17 Shahar Peer ISR d #133 wc Bethanie Mattek-Sands USA 6-2, 6-3 Sat Peer postmatch interview
#21 s18 Jie Zheng CHN d #40 Sorana Cirstea ROU 6-3, 7-5 Fri
#22 s19 Aravane Rezai FRA d #75 LL Tamarine Tanasugarn THA 6-4, 7-5 Fri
*#57 Shuai Peng CHN d #23 s20 Alona Bondarenko UKR 6-1, 6-4 Fri
*#58 Roberta Vinci ITA d #24 s21 Daniela Hantuchova SVK 6-3, 7-5 Sat
Daniela driving a forehand, and Roberta after match point
*#82 Jill Craybas USA d #25 s22 Sabine Lisicki GER 4-6, 7-5, 2-0 retired—left ankle injury Fri
#26 s23 Alisa Kleybanova RUS d #126 q Tsvetana Pironkova BUL 6(5)-7, 6-3, 6-1 Sat
*#72 Anastasija Sevastova LAT d #27 s24 Ana Ivanovic SRB 6-2, 6-4 Sat Ivanovic postmatch interview
Ana and Anastasija driving forehand and backhand
#28 s25 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS d #93 Karolina Sprem CRO 6-3, 6-1 Sat
*#49 Sara Errani ITA d #29 s26 Dominika Cibulkova SVK 7-5, 6-4 Sat
#31 s27 Agnes Szavay HUN d #97 q Yung-Jan Chan TPE 6-3, 6-2 Sat
#33 s28 Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez ESP d #51 Alexandra Dulgheru ROU 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 Sat
*#138 wc Alicia Molik AUS d #34 s29 A Medina Garrigues ESP 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(3) Fri
*#77 Kirsten Flipkens BEL d #35 s30 Aleksandra Wozniak CAN 6-1, 6-2 Fri
#36 s31 Gisela Dulko ARG d #NR wc Justine Henin BEL 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 Fri
Gisela serving to Justine, Justine driving a forehand, Gisela following one, and after match point
7-time Grand Slam tourney champion Justine retired on May 14, 2008, and returned to WTA play in January of this year, reaching the finals at Brisbane and at the Australian Open. Three tourneys in the past 52 weeks are needed to qualify for a WTA ranking; this is Justine's third tourney of the season, and she will be listed between #30 and #35 in the WTA rankings on March 22.
Justine said: "It was a tough day today... I was never into a good rhythm and never really found my way to win. Even in the second set, it was better, but still a lot of ups and downs. [Gisela] was playing quite high balls, and I never really found a good timing. So I wasn't consistent enough. That's very simple. It's a bit of an off day and you have to deal with it." postmatch interview - AP story
Gisela converted 6 of the 8 break points she held against Justine. It was Gisela's biggest win since she defeated former #1 Maria Sharapova in the 2nd round at Wimbledon last year, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4.
Gisela said: "I really like Justine, how she plays tennis. She's a great champion. I think she's my favorite player on the Tour now, so it was big for me tonight." postmatch interview
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#37 s32 Maria Kirilenko RUS d #39 Virginie Razzano FRA 7-5, 6-3 Fri
Maria following a backhand, Virginie fielding a forehand, and Li'l Masha following another backhand
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Indian Wells, 3rd Rd, Sun-Mon 11am Sun WTA story - Mon WTA story
loser's prize: $18,740; points: 80
#4 s2 Caroline Wozniacki DEN d #37 s32 Maria Kirilenko RUS 6-0, 6-3 Sun
Caroline reaching for a backhand, and Maria driving one
*#33 s28 Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez ESP d #6 s3 Victoria Azarenka BLR 7-6(4), 6-2 Mon
Maria Jose and Vika driving backhands, and Maria Jose's forehand drive
#7 s4 Elena Dementieva RUS d #77 Kirsten Flipkens BEL 6-4, 6-2 Sun
Elena and Kirsten driving backhand and forehand
About her 4th round opponent, Aravane Rezai, Elena said: "[Aravane] is very aggressive on the baseline. She has a great forehand and backhand. It was never easy to play against her, so I expect a tough match." postmatch interview
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#8 s5 Agnieszka Radwanska POL d #36 s31 Gisela Dulko ARG 6-1, 6-0 Sun
Gisela and Agnieszka driving backhands
#9 s6 Jelena Jankovic SRB d #49 Sara Errani ITA 2-6, 7-6(6), 6-4 Mon
Jelena serving, Sara chasing a forehand, Jelena driving a backhand, and after winning a point
Jelena said: "It was a tough match, not just physically but mentally too. [Sara] played really well. I wasn't playing consistently the whole time. I'd play a couple of points well but then would give away a lot of points too.
"When I was down 4-2 in the third, and 0-40 to go down 5-2, it was really a battle out there. Almost two breaks... I just tried to stay positive as much as I could. I just tried to fight for every point and keep going. I'm happy to win." postmatch interview
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#11 s8 Samantha Stosur AUS d #28 s25 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS 6-3, 6-0 Mon
Samantha and Anastasia driving backhand and forehand
*#20 s17 Shahar Peer ISR d #12 s9 Flavia Pennetta ITA 6-4, 6(4)-7, 6-1 Mon
Flavia and Shahar driving backhands
*#21 s18 Jie Zheng CHN d #13 s10 Maria Sharapova RUS 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 Sun
Jie serving, Maria and Jie driving backhand and forehand, and Jie after match point
Both players won 100 points in the match. But Maria, while serving just one ace, gave Jie 14 points on double faults (Jie: 0 aces, 4 DFs). Jie scored on 7 of the 17 break points she held against Maria; Maria converted only 6 of the 21 break points she held against Jie.
2010 Australian Open semifinalist Jie said "I think [Maria does] not feel so good for serve right now. So before the match, my coach tell me I need push her more to her second serve...
"I have play Maria lots of time before, but never win. I think before this match we have play in Hong Kong. I also have the chance for win, but I think I need more confidence [Maria defeated Jie on January 6th at the Hong Kong exhibition tourney, 6(5)-7, 6-4, 6-2]. But after the Australian Open I can believe I can do more and more." postmatch interview
Maria was up a break at 3-2 in the 3rd set when she had to call for the trainer to treat her right elbow.
Maria said "My elbow. I just felt like I couldn't really extend it all the way. It was a little stuck. So it was going on for a while, but I thought it would be best to call the trainer. I actually didn't want to take a timeout then, but she said if I didn't do it then I couldn't do it later. I had to take a three-minute timeout...
"[There has been pain there] ever since I got here, I'm not sure if it's the balls or maybe the air and the tension is a little bit tighter. I'm not really sure. [The trainer] said that more than average have been complaining about arms, so I don't know...
"I felt it before. Actually felt it a little bit at the US Open last year... On my serve it was really blocked extending it...
"I'd have periods of good games, and then the problem is trying to keep them all together and not being so up and down... If you break, hold, then great; if you don't, you've got to do the same thing that you did when you broke her and not make stupid errors...
"[Jie is] like a ball machine. She hits a lot of balls back, hits them hard and deep. I'd say I should have done a much better job on her serve, because her serve is definitely one of her weaker parts of the game." postmatch interview
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#14 s11 Marion Bartoli FRA d #82 Jill Craybas USA 6-2, 6-0 Sun
Jill driving a forehand, and Marion's 2-handed forehand with backhand grip
#15 s12 Vera Zvonareva RUS d #72 Anastasija Sevastova LAT 6-2, 6-3 Mon
Vera's service toss, Anastasija running down a forehand, and Vera about to connect with a backhand
#16 s13 Yanina Wickmayer BEL d #58 Roberta Vinci ITA 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 Mon Wickmayer postmatch interview
*#26 s23 Alisa Kleybanova RUS d #17 s14 Kim Clijsters BEL 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(4) Mon
Alisa about to swat a backhand, Kim driving one, and Alisa after match point
Alisa said: "The whole match today was, you know, with many ups and downs for me. Some point I didn't play too good. But I just said to myself, 'I got to stay there.' That's what I did until the end of the match, even that I was 3-Love down in the final set, 4-Love down in the tiebreaker. In my mind it was just until the last point is played the match is not over. So I just kept fighting for every ball, and finally it worked." postmatch interview
Kim said: "I definitely think I let it get is way. Credit to [Alisa], she played some really good points to get back into it. I think a lot of times I felt like the better I started moving her around, the more she—she's really good on the run, and she really gets those angles where she kept me under pressure.
"I tried to come in a couple times. A few times it worked. Another few really important points she came up with good passing shot, or she hit a really good backhand down the line. I think that's where I maybe took my foot off the accelerator a little bit.
"What got me to be ahead was I was playing aggressive tennis and being dominant. I think she, by putting me under pressure during those long rallies, I kind of just backed off a little bit. I think that was definitely the wrong thing to do." postmatch interview
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*#22 s19 Aravane Rezai FRA d #18 s15 Francesca Schiavone ITA 6(4)-7, 7-6(2), 6-4 Sun
#19 s16 Nadia Petrova RUS d #57 Shuai Peng CHN 6-1, 7-5 Sun
*#42 Carla Suarez Navarro ESP d #31 s27 Agnes Szavay HUN 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 Mon
*#138 wc Alicia Molik AUS d #64 q Elena Baltacha GBR 6-0, 6-2 Sun
Alicia and Elena driving backhands
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Indian Wells, 4th Rd, Tue 11am WTA story
loser's prize: $32,000; points: 140
#4 s2 Caroline Wozniacki DEN d #19 s16 Nadia Petrova RUS 6-3, 3-6, 6-0
Nadia and Caroline driving forehand and backhand, and Caroline after match point
Caroline will play Jie Zheng in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Caroline said: "Last time I played Zheng I lost to her. She's a great player. She has had a great start to the year, playing aggressively and taking the balls early—I need to be ready and focused." postmatch interview
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#7 s4 Elena Dementieva RUS d #22 s19 Aravane Rezai FRA 6-3, 6-3
Aravane and Elena driving backhands
Elena said: "I'm improving a little bit with each match here. I hope to improve some more before my next match against Agnieszka [Radwanska]. It's going to be a completely different match next. It's about my game. I need to create something, go for the winner. I can't just go on the court and be patient, because there's nothing to wait for. Agnieszka doesn't make any mistakes." postmatch interview
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#8 Agnieszka Radwanska POL d #14 s11 Marion Bartoli FRA 6-3, 6-2
Agnieszka serving, and Marion following a forehand
#9 s6 Jelena Jankovic SRB d #20 s17 Shahar Peer ISR 6-2, 6-2
Incredibly, no photos of Jelena in this match were posted by the AP, Reuters, or Getty. They also posted no photos of Martinez Sanchez v Wickmayer or Kleybanova v Suarez Navarro.
Jelena said: "I had a tough match last night and I didn't know how I would hold up physically. And Shahar is a really dangerous opponent. I just had to hold my ground and go for my shots. I'm really happy with my performance. I never backed up. I just kept going for my shots, served well and returned well." postmatch interview
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#11 s8 Samantha Stosur AUS d #15 s12 Vera Zvonareva RUS 6-2, 7-5
Samantha about to slice a backhand, and Vera driving one
*#33 s28 Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez ESP d #16 s13 Yanina Wickmayer BEL 6-4, 6-4
#21 s18 Jie Zheng CHN d #138 wc Alicia Molik AUS 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(1)
Jie fielding a forehand, Alicia driving one, Jie's backhand drive, and after match point
#26 s23 Alisa Kleybanova RUS d #42 Carla Suarez Navarro ESP 2-6, 7-6(2), 6-4
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Indian Wells, QFs, Wed-Thu noon Wed WTA story - Thu WTA story
loser's prize: $64,700; points: 250
#4 s2 Caroline Wozniacki DEN d #21 s18 Jie Zheng CHN 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 Wed
Jie and Caroline driving forehands, and Caroline after match point
*#8 Agnieszka Radwanska POL d #7 s4 Elena Dementieva RUS 6-4, 6-3 Wed
Agnieszka's forehand drive, and Elena and Agnieszka driving backhands
Agnieszka converted 4 of the 5 break points she held against Elena; Elena scored on only 2 of her 8 break point opportunities against Elena.
Agnieszka said: "This will be my second semifinal of the year, so I'm playing well. I just want to keep going now and work hard." postmatch interview
Elena said: "I was so slow. I was reaching for the ball instead of going forward and attack [Agnieszka's] second serve. She slowed down the game a lot and mixed it up a lot. You have to be very aggressive. You have to step forward. You have to create something. I was way too slow." AFP story - postmatch interview
Agnieszka will play in Caroline Wozniacki the Indian Wells semifinals on Friday. Caroline and Agnieszka are tied at 1-1 in career matches; Caro won their last meeting, on a hardcourt in the Stockholm semis in 2008, 6-4, 6-1.
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#9 s6 Jelena Jankovic SRB d #26 s23 Alisa Kleybanova RUS 6-4, 6-4 Thu
Jelena reaching for a backhand, Alisa and Jelena driving backhands, and Jelena after match point
Jelena said: "Kleybanova is a tough opponent. You never know what you're going to get from her. Sometimes I have her on the run and she comes up with some unbelievable shots. I tried to stay focused and play the best I could, and I was able to get through this match. I'm really, really pleased...
"The more matches I play, the better I'm getting," said the Serb, whose good form has taken her to the No.1 ranking in the past. "That match against Errani was kind of a wake-up call. I was two points from losing the match. It wasn't my day. But I fought one point at a time and made it through. Then I was very aggressive against Peer. Today I did my best again and got through." postmatch interview - Kleybanova postmatch interview
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#11 s8 Samantha Stosur AUS d #33 s28 Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez ESP 6-3, 7-6(7) Thu
Samantha serving, and Maria Jose and Samantha driving backhands
Samantha said: "We had played a few times recently, and [Maria Jose is] a player who just doesn't give you very much rhythm. She plays a little differently, as do I. She serves and volleys.
"I just tried to give myself as many opportunities as possible, and when I got them I tried to take them, and towards the end of the second set I started to serve better and better. I think I handled it pretty well." postmatch interview - Martinez Sanchez postmatch interview
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Indian Wells, SFs, Fri noon WTA story
loser's prize: $150,000; points: 450
#4 s2 Caroline Wozniacki DEN d #8 Agnieszka Radwanska POL 6-2, 6-3
Caroline and Agnieszka driving backhands, Caro fielding a forehand on the run, and after match point
Caroline and Agnieszka know each other well. Although Caroline is Danish, her parents are both Polish and reside in Poland (Caroline's father, now her coach, was a professional soccer player in Denmark).
Caroline said: "I thought I played a really good match. [Agnieszka and I] know each other so well. We know each other's strengths and weaknesses. Agnieszka is a great fighter and doesn't give up—I knew I had to fight until the last point to win." postmatch interview
Caroline will play Jelena Jankovic in the Indian Wells final on Sunday. Jelena leads Caroline 3-0 in career matches. Their first meeting was on the chlorophyll courts of Wimbledon in 2008, their last two meetings were on hardcourts, most recently in the round robin of last year's WTA Championships in Doha, when Jelena defeated Caroline 6-2, 6-2.
Caroline said: "I haven't won against Jelena yet. She's a former No.1. She has had a good tournament here and it's going to be a tough match."
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#9 s6 Jelena Jankovic SRB d #11 s8 Samantha Stosur AUS 6-2, 6-4
Jelena serving, Samantha and Jelena driving forehand and backhand, and Jelena after match point
Jelena said: "The key to today's match was my return. Samantha has an unbelievable serve, one of the best in the women's game, and I was able to return a lot of her first serves. I put a lot of pressure on her second serve, too. I was able to break her quite a few times and it made everything easier for me. I think she felt a little bit uncomfortable, because she really relies on that shot...
"I'm feeling good and I'm happy to be in the finals. It's my first time in the finals here. I have had some tough matches here and some good wins. I'm going to try my best and see what happens. Maybe I can win another title. I'm looking forward to playing my first final of the year on Sunday." postmatch interview
Samantha said: "It has been a great week. I played four really good matches. Today was a bit disappointing, but it's still my best result in a tournament like this. There's a lot to build on. I have to look at the positives." postmatch interview
About playing either Caroline Wozniacki or Agnieszka Radwanska in the final, Jelena said: "They're two young players and they're really good. They hit the ball solid and it's not going to be an easy match, whoever it is. I'm just going to play my tennis. I can do well. I just have to stay focused and do what I do best."
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Indian Wells, Final, Sun, noon
loser's prize: $350,000; points: 700
winner's prize: $700,000; points: 1000
#9 s6 Jelena Jankovic SRB d #4 s2 Caroline Wozniacki DEN 6-2, 6-4
Jelena serving, Caroline ready to receive, Jelena driving a backhand, Caroline serving, Jelena flying to fetch a forehand, Jelena appreciating her axe after match point, and Caro congratulating JJ
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Indian Wells, Doubles Final, Sat 3:30pm+
losers' prize: $118,500
winners' prize: $237,000
Kveta Peschke & Katarina Srebotnik d cdr20 s3 Samantha Stosur & Nadia Petrova 6-4, 2-6, (10-5) postmatch interview
Kveta (15th WTA doubles title) and Katarina (22nd WTA doubles title)
Indian Wells, Qualifying Finals, Tue Mar 9 noon (10am ATP)
losers' prizes: q1 $1,050 1pt; q2 $2,100 20pts; qualifier 30 points
#64 Elena Baltacha GBR d #109 Ekaterina Bychkova RUS 6-3, 6-4
*#140 Nuria Llagostera Vives ESP d #75 Tamarine Tanasugarn THA 6-3, 6-1
#76 Petra Martic CRO d #131 Michaella Krajicek NED 2-6, 6-2, 6-1
*#747 Sloane Stephens USA d #86 Arantxa Parra Santonja ESP 6-1, 6-3
*#126 Tsvetana Pironkova BUL d #90 Ayumi Morita JPN 6-0, 6-1
*#103 Shenay Perry USA d #91 Kai-Chen Chang TPE 4-6, 7-6(4), 7-6(2)
#93 Karolina Sprem CRO d #102 Rossana de los Rios PAR 6-4, 6-1
#97 Yung-Jan Chan TPE d #106 Varvara Lepchenko USA 6-1, 6-4
#98 Akgul Amanmuradova UZB d #128 Patricia Mayr AUT 6-2, 6-0
#99 Viktoriya Kutuzova UKR v #121 Kathrin Woerle GER 6-2, 7-6(4)
*#130 Edina Gallovits ROU d #108 Pauline Parmentier FRA 6-3, 6-1
*#116 Michelle Larcher de Brito POR d #113 Arantxa Rus NED 6-4, 6-3
Indian Wells, Withdrawals
#1 Serena Williams USA
#2 Dinara Safina RUS back injury
#5 Venus Williams USA
#30 Elena Vesnina RUS
#32 Kateryna Bondarenko UKR knee injury
#60 Anna-Lena Groenefeld GER left foot injury
#83 Sania Mirza IND right wrist injury
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. The previous owners were a group which included Charlie Pasarell and Raymond Moore (whose company, PM Sports Management, will continue to manage the tourney), George Mackin and Bob Miller of
magazine, the United States Tennis Association, and former players Pete Sampras, Chris Evert and Billie Jean King. As of this writing, the tourney's principal sponsor will remain European financial giant BNP Paribas.
This year's Indian Wells women's singles final will be held on (Easter) Sunday (same as the men's) with the doubles final on Saturday. Previously the women's singles final was held on Saturday and the women's doubles final on Sunday, "Grand Slam style."
Link to many postmatch interview & match highlight videos of WTA players at the
: the current top 20 Women's Tennis rankings with player photos, links, and bio info.
