Belinda Bencic of Switzerland needed just 65 minutes to dispatch Germany’s Tatjana Maria 6-1, 6-1 in first-round action at the BNP Paribas Open on Thursday in Indian Wells, Calif.
Bencic, who won her ninth WTA singles title last month in Abu Dhabi, won 20 of her 24 first-serve points (83.3 percent) and never faced break point while winning 5 of 8 break points against Maria.
Her win came on a day when the WTA Tour announced a new paid maternity program for mothers on tour, financed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Bencic is one of many mothers on tour.
“I’m really lucky,” Bencic said after her match. “Our life has changed for the better. Tatjana is a mom of two so it was great to play against her also.
“I’m really feeling like there are so many moms on the tour now … just trying to show everyone that it’s possible to have a baby and also play professional tennis.”
Japan’s top-ranked player, Moyuka Uchijima, defeated former Grand Slam winner Emma Raducanu of Great Britain 6-3, 6-2. Uchijima next will face No. 3 seed Coco Gauff, who had a bye into the second round.
“I know Emma is a great player and I was just happy to share the court with her,” Uchijima said. “It’s my first Indian Wells and I cannot imagine a better debut on Stadium 1 and playing my best tennis.”
Sofia Kenin handled Australian Maddison Ingils 6-2, 6-1 in 70 minutes after Kenin’s original opponent, Sloane Stephens, withdrew earlier in the week with a foot injury.
Another American, Caty McNally, moved on early Thursday after Australian opponent Ajla Tomljanovic retired. McNally had won the first set 6-4.
Other winners included Romanians Jaqueline Cristian and Sorana Cirstea, Great Britain’s Sonay Kartal, Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova, Russia’s Polina Kudermetova and Anastasia Potapova, Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti, Australia’s Kimberly Birrell and the United States’ McCartney Kessler.
Three matches that were halted due to rain Thursday night will be completed on Friday.
–Field Level Media
