BNP PARIBAS CHALLENGE FEATURES LARGEST FIELD IN EVENT HISTORY
TOURNAMENT BEGINS TODAY WITH FINALS TO BE HELD SATURDAY, MARCH 7; FREE ADMISSION FOR FANS
THE 2015 BNP PARIBAS CHALLENGE, THE PRE-QUALIFYING EVENT FOR THE BNP PARIBAS OPEN, BEGINS TODAY AND WILL RUN THROUGH SATURDAY, MARCH 7, AND BOASTS THE LARGEST DRAW IN THE EVENT’S HISTORY WITH MORE THAN 250 PARTICIPANTS SEEKING WILDCARD BERTHS INTO THE BNP PARIBAS OPEN QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT, TO BE HELD MARCH 9-11 AT THE INDIAN WELLS TENNIS GARDEN.
TOP-SEED MELANIE OUDIN AND JULIA BOSERUP HIGHLIGHT THE AMERICAN TALENT IN THE WOMEN’S DRAW. OUDIN HAS BEEN RANKED AS HIGH AS NO. 31 IN THE WORLD AND IS A FORMER US OPEN QUARTERFINALIST, AND BOSERUP HAS ADVANCED TO THE SECOND ROUND OF THE FRENCH OPEN IN TWO OF THE LAST THREE YEARS.
ANASTASIA RODINOVA OF RUSSIA RETURNS TO THE CHALLENGE AFTER WINNING THE EVENT IN 2014, AND AMERICAN SAMANTHA CRAWFORD, WHO QUALIFIED FOR THE 2012 US OPEN MAIN DRAW AND CAPTURED THE JUNIOR GIRLS SINGLES TITLE THAT YEAR, WILL ALSO PLAY IN THE EVENT.
OTHER NOTABLE WOMEN IN THE DRAW INCLUDE 2013 US OPEN NATIONAL PLAYOFF WINNER MAYO HIBI OF JAPAN AND AMERICAN LAUREN EMBREE, A MEMBER OF BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA.
THE MEN’S SIDE FEATURES SEVERAL LOCAL STANDOUTS, INCLUDING PALM DESERT’S RYAN MARKER, WHO RECENTLY WON THE USTA CLOSED TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS IN TUCSON. OTHER NOTABLES INCLUDE FORMER COLLEGE OF THE DESERT PLAYER JOSH BARNES AND CURRENT COD STUDENT-ATHLETES SAM COWEN AND FELIPE FUENTES, AS WELL AS LOCAL TEACHING PROFESSIONALS BRETT VAN LINGE AND NIGEL O’ROURKE. CHASE BUCHANAN, A FORMER EASTER BOWL CHAMPION (2008) AND OHIO STATE STANDOUT, IS THE TOP SEED.
MATCHES WILL BEGIN AT 9:00 A.M. ON MONDAY – WEDNESDAY, AND 10:00 A.M. ON THURSDAY – FRIDAY. THE WOMEN’S FINAL WILL BE ON SATURDAY AT NOON FOLLOWED BY THE MEN’S FINAL. THE WINNERS OF THE MEN’S AND WOMEN’S EVENT WILL RECEIVE A WILDCARD INTO THEIR RESPECTIVE QUALIFYING EVENTS. ALL MATCHES WILL BE PLAYED AT THE INDIAN WELLS TENNIS GARDEN, AND ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND FREE OF CHARGE.
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO VIEW THE MEN’S AND WOMEN’S CHALLENGE DRAWS, VISIT
http://www.bnpparibasopen.com/en/schedules/bnp-paribas-challenge
ABOUT THE BNP PARIBAS OPEN
THE BNP PARIBAS OPEN IS THE LARGEST ATP WORLD TOUR AND WTA COMBINED TWO-WEEK EVENT IN THE WORLD, AND IS HELD ANNUALLY AT THE INDIAN WELLS TENNIS GARDEN. THE SITE HAS UNDERGONE A SIGNIFICANT EXPANSION THAT INCLUDES A NEW PERMANENT STADIUM 2 WITH 8,000 SEATS AND THREE RESTAURANTS, INCLUDING WORLD-RENOWNED NOBU; FOUR MORE PRACTICE COURTS, AND ADDITIONAL 19,000 SQUARE FOOT SHADE STRUCTURE, AND MORE. THE TOURNAMENT OFFERS MORE THAN $10 MILLION IN PRIZE MONEY, AND IS THE ONLY EVENT TO PROVIDE THE HAWKEYE LINE CHALLENGE SYSTEM ON ALL MATCH COURTS, INCLUDING QUALIFYING ROUNDS. IN 2014, MORE THAN 431,000 PEOPLE ATTENDED THE EVENT. FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO PURCHASE TICKETS VISIT www.bnpparibasopen.com, CALL 800-999-1585 OR THE INDIAN WELLS TENNIS GARDEN BOX OFFICE AT 78-200 MILES AVENUE, INDIAN WELLS, CA, 92210.
Topics: Atp, BNP Paribas Open, Coachella Valley, Indian Wells, Indian Wells Tennis Garden, Tennis, Wta
PRE-QUALIFYING IS STARTING FOR THE @BNPPARIBASOPEN IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY, IT’S FREE COME SEE SOME GREAT #TENNIS- http://t.co/OxyURE6efZ