One of the main stories at the 2017 BNP Paribas Open on Saturday was the comeback of Madison Keys.
The world #9 hadn’t played a match since the WTA Finals in October last year, having wrist surgery just days after returning home from Singapore. Rehab procedures caused Keys to miss out on the complete Australian & Middle East Swings, getting match ready right in time for the American hard courts.
Paired up again with coach Lindsay Davenport, Keys successfully played her first match in four months in Indian Wells on Saturday, beating Colombia’s Mariana Duque-Marino in straight sets.
Another player scoring an important comeback win was Venus Williams, who won her first match in Indian Wells since 2001, having skipped the tournament for many years.
Other high-profile players had a successful day in the desert as well, with Angelique Kerber having no problems getting past fellow German Andrea Petkovic in straight sets and Simona Halep beating Donna Vekic in straight sets.
Halep’s win was extra remarkable for a sad reason as the popular Romanian learned that her grandfather passed away just hours before her match. Despite the sad news, Halep is safely through to the tournament’s third round that will commence on Sunday.
Keep checking back to Women’s Tennis Blog for all the latest from Indian Wells.
MORE PHOTOS FROM THE 2017 BNP PARIBAS OPEN:
- Friday: Second-round drama
- Thursday: Completion of the first round
- Wednesday: First-round action begins in the desert
- Tuesday: Qualifying action completes, the main draw is set
- Monday: Qualifying kicks off
- Sunday: Warming up for the tournament
