Event of the Day: Day 1 of the BNP Paribas Open
Our event of the day is the opening day of the women’s draw at the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Gardens. There are a number of exciting matches, including Venus Williams looking to pursue her first title in over three years, a rematch of the recent Mexican Open final and the start of Eugenie Bouchard’s self-described golden year. You won’t want to miss the start of this premier tennis tournament. The first day of the women’s draw sees a number of exciting matches.
Venus Williams, over three years removed from her last title, begins her tournament against German veteran Andrea Petković. Williams, who is ranked number 36 in the world, has made four tournament finals since her win at the 2016 Taiwan Open but has failed to convert any of those chances. Williams was not on her best form in the 2018 season, with her best performance coming in a semifinals appearance at last year’s BNP Paribas Open. She will be looking to make sure that 2019 is a better season. Petković, the world number 68, will be looking to get her season on track after a rough start. Despite a round of 16 finish at the Hungarian Ladies Open, she was eliminated in the round of 128 at the Australian Open and failed to make it out of the qualifiers at Brisbane and St. Petersburg. The two women are 2-2 in play against one another and with both looking to improve their season, this is sure to be an exciting match. Elsewhere, Canadian Eugenie Bouchard opens her Indian Wells campaign against Kirsten Flipkens. Bouchard made a statement on her 25th birthday at the end of February, calling 2019 her “golden year” and promising greatness for herself after a rough few years. Bouchard had made waves after reaching the final of Wimbledon in 2014. However, she has not been able to recreate that form in the years since. She will not face an easy match in Kirsten Flipkens. Flipkens, the world number 56, is looking to rebound after being forced to withdraw from the Hungarian Ladies Open despite being the number 2 seed in the tournament. The 33-year-old Belgian has one WTA title to her name, the Tournoi de Quebec in 2012 but she is most definitely eager to add to her tally. The first round also sees Wang Yafan take on Sonya Kenin. These two recently met in the final of the Mexican Open. In that competition, the unseeded Wang overcame world number 26 Donna Vekić before beating the fifth seeded Kenin in the final. Wang will be eager to continue her streak against Kenin. To her credit, Kenin has been described as an aggressive grinder by some of the world’s best female tennis players and is one of the most promising current American tennis prospects. She won her first WTA title at the Hobart International earlier this year, making this a rematch you won’t want to miss. Today should be a great start to one of the premier events in tennis.
Honourable mentions around the globe go to the Champions League, where Paris Saint-Germainhost Manchester United at the Parc des Princes for the second leg of their round of 16 tie. PSG hold a 2-0 advantage from the first leg with goals from Presnel Kimpembe and Kylian Mbappé The first leg is United’s only loss of 2019 so far and they will be eager to try and rectify the situation so they can progress in the competition. Be sure you don’t miss what should be a thrilling night of European football. Elsewhere, in the NBA, the Sacramento Kings host the Boston Celtics at the Golden 1 Center. In the NHL, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Calgary Flames at the T-Mobile Arena. In snooker, the Players Championshipscontinue in Preston. The second ODI between South Africa and Sri Lanka takes place at SuperSport Park.
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!
Photos by BNP Paribas Open