Kelvin and I escaped for a two-day getaway to Indian Wells' BNP Paribas tennis tournament ("Tennis Paradise") for another year. While not a truly annual March trip, in part due to having winter-born and nutritionally mom-dependent children, we'd previously been in 2014, 2016, and 2017 and it's becoming a bit of a tradition. We are so incredibly lucky to have willing and capable aunties/grandparents (Kelvin's sister Katherine and his parents) two hours away in Orange County, who (again) agreed to watch/entertain our (now two) children so we could have some free time to escape (for ~52 hours) the relentlessness and intensity of parenting/tending to children (although I dragged the breast pump with me), (theoretically sleep in) and watch amazing tennis, a sport I have always loved. I used to feel guilty and nervous about ditching our child for a couple of days, but after having kid #2, knowing that he and they are in great hands and that my mental health much benefits from the break makes it easy to want to take the opportunity to go.
It was (as it always is) amazing, as sitting in desert sunshine, reading my kindle, and watching tennis is high up there on my list of most favorite in the world and totally relaxing things to do.
It has also been a dream and a life bucket list item for me to see Roger Federer (a.k.a the G.O.A.T [greatest of all-time]) play tennis live. The last time we were at this tournament in 2017, we came close, as Roger was slated to play Nick Kyrgios in a quarterfinal match, but Kyrgios unfortunately pulled out last minute with gastroenteritis (we doctors quipped, "Isn't that what immodium and gatorade are for?"). Katherine/Eddie were able to get me an autographed Fed picture and a few close-up iPhone photos, but I still dreamed to get to see him in a match! Thankfully, he (last year's runner-up) was still in the tournament at this point and this year, we were treated to watching him (twice!) along with many other Grand Slam champions in the Round of 32 and 16 (men's) and round of 16 and quarterfinals (women's), with at least 54 Grand Slam singles titles (and at least 15 doubles titles) between the players.
Day 1 saw champions Rafa AND Roger in action (but not head-to-head) - check out our tees in anticipation (I am the ultimate Fed-fan)
Stadium 1 was where the most top players were scheduled to play.
We started by watching the Spaniard Garbiñe Muguruza (two-time Grand Slam Champion) tough out a three-set win over Kiki Bertens.
We caught Novak Djokovic (who had rather an off-day and lost in his match later) on the practice courts.
Exciting Canadian lefty Denis Shapovalov defeated previous U.S. Open winner and Croat Marin Cilic on Court 3.
The three-hour three-set marathon between Elina Svitolina and Ashleigh Barty (where we could sit closer to the action) was probably the most competitive match of the day.
The G.O.A.T in practice, a couple of hours before his night match.
Novak Djokovic (15-time Grand Slam winner) lost in an uncharacteristic roll-over to veteran Philipp Kohlschreiber, as did #2 seed Simona Halep (the 2018 women's French Open Champion).
Karolina Pliskova, who staged one of the best comebacks I've ever seen in her Aussie Open quarterfinal match against Serena this year won a three-setter against Anett Kontaveit.
Switzerland's Belinda Bencic stunned Japan's Naomi Osaka, the winner of the last two Grand Slams, defending champ at Indian Wells, and #1 seed, in straight sets.
Then it was time for the night session!
Time to watch Roger!
Roger Federer (winner of 20 Majors and arguably the best men's tennis player of all time) played an extremely high-quality, exceptionally tidy match, dispensing with his talented countryman and winner of three Majors, Stan Wawrinka, in under one hour!
"Pistol Pete" Sampras was called out, in attendance
The final match of the night was a three-setter between Angelique Kerber (3-time Major champion and the eventual winner) and Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.
Eleven hours of tennis-watching on day 1 was a lot, but we came back for more on day 2!
(My true hero)
We started watching some women's doubles between the Czech top-seeded pair Krejcikova and Siniakova and Vekic/Bertens.
Rafael Nadal cruised through the first match of the day on Stadium 1 against a Serbian qualifier, Filip Krajinovic.
Denis Shapovalov went down against the Pole, Hubert Hurkacz.
Martina Navratilova, two-time champion here, gave an interview.
Federer played a masterful day match in the round of 16 on Wednesday, against Brit Kyle Edmund, who only won a handful of games.
(Sampras was again in attendance, as was Rod Laver).
There were some good men's doubles matches, where the balls were just whizzing by!
Austrian Dominic Thiem took out the 40-year-old big-serving Croat Ivo Karlovic, who was blasting some 135-mph serves!
In the night matches, first Elina Svitolina gritted out another three-setter against Marketa Vondrousova and then her boyfriend, Gael Monfils of France, followed by dismissing Philipp Kohlschreiber, Djokovic-slayer.
