BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells

Qualifying rounds for one of the elite tournaments of the season got underway yesterday.  The women are scheduled to begin play in the main draw tomorrow.  All the hype has been about Serena’s return to the event where she was booed and mocked by a crowd controlled by their emotions.  Serena has forgiven them and moved on, stating that “she has nothing to prove.”   Unfortunately for Serena it is not going to be easy to hoist the trophy.  There are numerous players in her half of the draw that can potentially disrupt her plans.  Many of these players have been honing their skills in hard court events and are ready to potentially defeat a top ranked player, especially one that may have acquired a little rust from lack of play since the Australian Open.   All eyes will be on Serena from her first match, curious to see what she brings to the tournament and if the added media attention in any way stifles her game.