NEWS BNP PARIBAS OPEN, 8 MARCH 2014, INDIAN WELLS TENNIS GARDEN

RADWANSKA ADVANCES IN BNP PARIBAS OPEN 2014

Second seed Agnieszka Radwanska, who celebrated her 25th birthday on Thursday, defeated qualifier Heather Watson 6-3, 6-3 to open her BNP Paribas Open campaign. Radwanska is bidding to lift her 14th WTA trophy and her first Premier-level crown since January 2013 at Sydney. Radwanska will play Annika Beck in the third round. Radwanska is making her eighth appearance at Indian Wells and put together her best run in 2010, when she reached the semi-finals (l. to Wozniacki).
Watson dropped to 0-9 lifetime against the Top 10 in the WTA Rankings. Becker beat No. 30 seed Elena Vesnina 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. “I felt [that] I was right in there,” said Watson. “I had my chances, and I didn't feel I played that well today. It was actually quite windy on the Center Court. I struggled with my serve a bit. I felt I still could have come through and won that first set if I would have played certain points better and not given away a lot of free points.” 
 Italian No. 13 seed Roberta Vinci recorded her first win of the season as she defeated American Madison Keys 6-3, 6-3. She goes on to face Australian qualifier Casey Dellacqua, who overcame a slow start to defeat 19th seed Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium, 1-6, 6-3, 6-1. Vavara Lepchenko knocked out No. 29 seed Daniela Hantuchova, the 2002 and 2007 champion, 6-3, 6-2 in 84 minutes. Magdalena Rybarikova, the No. 31 seed, beat wild card Shelby Rogers 6-4, 6-3. Ninth seed Sara Errani converted three of her five break point opportunities in a 6-1, 6-1 victory over qualifier Sharon Fichman in 71 minutes. 

BOUCHARD IN 2 ROUND OF BNP PARIBAS OPEN

She will now play No. 18 seed Eugenie Bouchard, who lost just three of her first service points, in a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Shuai Peng. “My goal was to be really aggressive, and I knew I could do it on her serve as well,” said Bouchard. "I wanted to do it right from the beginning. I'm happy I was able to continue that way as well. [Against Errani], I’m going to try to be aggressive and move in and finish the points. I tried to do that a few times today.” Carla Suarez Navarro, the No. 14 seed, will face No. 22 seed Alize Cornet in the third round. Suarez Navarro beat Kristina Mladenovic 6-3, 6-3, while Cornet battled past Silvia Soler-Espinosa 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 in just under two-and-a-half hours.