Fans at the 2016 BNP Paribas Open can look forward to a blockbuster final on Sunday, featuring two past Indian Wells champions.
The first player to make her way into the title match was Serena Williams, with a thrilling two-set victory over Agnieszka Radwanska in front of an ecstatic crowd on Friday. This will be Williams’ first shot at the Indian Wells title ever since her decade-long hiatus from the event.
Williams’ opponent in the final will be 2012 BNP Paribas Open champion Victoria Azarenka, the Belarusian former world #1 who trumped Karolina Pliskova in her semis. After edging out a close first set, Azarenka’s level dropped in the second set, allowing the Czech youngster to force a decider in which the experience of the two-time Grand Slam champion prevailed.
Fans can look forward to a modern classic on Sunday, as Williams and Azarenka have an extensive finals history that has always produced stunning matches. Azarenka is one of few players in the current era that has been able to beat Williams in big matches, including her wins in Doha in 2013 and Cincinnati later that year.
