By Sara Scott
Kuznetsova, Ivanovic, Bartoli look for first Pacific
Life titles
INDIAN WELLS, Calif., March 10 – Pacific Life Open
champions Daniela Hantuchova and Lindsay Davenport aim to become the first
three-time women's champion in Indian Wells history this week. Standing in
the way is current Australian Open (not to mention the 2006 Pacific Life)
winner Maria Sharapova. Top-Ten players Ana Ivanovic, Marion Bartoli and
Svetlana Kuznetsova also shoot for their first title.
Davenport is seeded, but
not highly, setting up a potential 4th round clash with 2007 Wimbledon finalist
Bartoli. Davenport, who is on the comeback trail, won both singles and doubles
just last week in Memphis. Also in Davenport's side is third-seed Jelena
Jancovic.
The other side of the top half includes
top-seed Ana Ivanovic, who could meet Nicole Vaidisova in the
quarters.
In the left side of the bottom
half, perhaps the most intriguing possibility would be a Sharapova-Hantuchova
quarterfinal, but first they would have to get by the likes of Shahar Peer,
Amelie Mauresmo, Sania Mirza and the Bondarenko sisters. On the right side,
second-seed Kuznetsova might have the easiest path to her quarter, with no
other top-10 players and only fellow countrywoman Dinara Safina or Chinese
Olympian Na Li offering a possible quarterfinal contest. Safina could face
a resurgent Ashley Harkleroad, Nathalie Dechy or Shuai Peng.
The first major combined tennis
event of the season on U.S. soil, the Pacific Life Open runs March 10-23,
2008 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Last year more than 303,000 fans
passed through the gates, making it the fifth most attended tennis tournament
in the world and the most attended next to the four Grand Slams. This year's
event will again feature over 250 of the top men's and women's players and
will be broadcast for more than 44 hours of live and tape-delayed coverage
on ESPN2. Tickets and info (800) 999-1585 or visit
www.PacificLifeOpen.com. |
