Indian Wells – 1R

The 25th edition of ‘BNP Paribas Open’ at Indian Wells started on Thursday, for the seventh straight year with a 96 draw (’56 draw’ in the years 1987-1999 and ’64 draw’ in the years 2000-2003). This year’s draw is excellent, with all the Top 10 best players in the word (32 out of 35 best players).
The first round was successful for qualifiers and “wild cards”, 6 out of 12 qualifiers advanced to the next round, 4 players with “wild cards”, including this year’s revelation Milos Raonic who ousted in straight sets Marsel Ilhan [120], the young Canadian lost his serve serving for the match but quickly rebuilt himself and won a tie-break easily, recording his first ‘Masters 1000’ victory. I’m looking forward to his potential fourth round clash with Federer. “It’s been two weeks since I played a tournament, so I was happy to be back feeling like I’m playing a lot better,” says Raonic [37], “I didn’t serve that well today, but I feel compared to Memphis and San Jose I’m playing another level from the baseline. I feel like it just gives me a lot more comfort that I’m improving that aspect.” The other young gun – Ryan Harrison [152] had a tricky match with one of the Davis Cup heroes of the last weekend – Jeremy Chardy [49]. Harrison already led 5:0* (30-0) in the 3rd set, but the Frenchman got 3:5 (deuce) after saving two match points. Harrison: “These are always big mental matches because it’s so tight. And especially the first two sets being 7-6, to come out on top and to really get out there ahead in the third, really it could have been a 6-0 third set.”
The best four players in the world, Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray, won their doubles matches. Especially Federer’s win (teamed up with Wawrinka) is impressive – 6-1, 6-2 over amazing doubles players – Mirnyi and Nestor.