Just last weekend, Taylor Townsend was in milestone mode in Austin, Texas, where she reached her first career WTA singles final at the ATX Open.

A quick hop to Indian Wells, and the No. 87-ranked American is picking up right where she left off. The 29-year-old Townsend, who qualified for the main draw, did not skip a beat on Thursday as she powered past Czechia’s Marie Bouzkova 6-2, 6-1 to set a second-round clash with No. 28-seeded Marta Kostyuk.

Chalk the ability to manage the quick turnaround and heavy workload up to experience. That’s one thing the 29-year-old Chicago native has plenty of. The secret sauce? The power of the mind, says Townsend.

“I think it's like 95 percent mental, 5 percent physical, honestly,” she told reporters after wrapping up her win in 75 minutes on Stadium 3.

Finishing an emotional run to the Austin final on Sunday, Townsend arrived in Tennis Paradise on Monday to begin her qualifying bid. One could view the quickfire turnaround as problematic, but Townsend says it’s a problem she wants to have.

“If you pay attention to the circumstances, there are so many things that are not ideal, right? I really feel like I have a different level of inner strength and I've done this before and I've been here before in very extreme situations, several times,” she said. “I really pull from that for myself where I'm like, ‘Okay, if you're still able to go and compete and perform versus someone who's had preparation, who's had time, who's had all these things, you can do anything.’ That's really what I tell myself, and that's kind of how I feel. I just kind of draw that strength from there, and from the experiences that I've had in the past.

“I want to be in these situations because that means that I'm going far and I'm making it more difficult for myself, quote unquote, because I'm winning. I want to have these problems.”

Vekic Makes Use Of Wild Card

Former Olympic silver medalist and Wimbledon semifinalist Donna Vekic got her first tour-level win of 2026, battling past 19-year-old rising Czech Tereza Valentova, 7-6(4), 7-6(4) in a spirited tussle on Stadium 3.

It has not been a dream season for the 29-year-old Croatian, who was ranked No. 22 earlier this year but will enter her second-round match with No. 5-seeded Jessica Pegula carrying a ranking of No. 103.

Her first career meeting with Valentova was close from start to finish, with the Czech even holding a pair of set points that would have forced a decider, with Vekic serving at 5-6, 15-40.

The former World No. 17 held on and took charge in the ensuing tiebreak, racing out to a 6-1 lead before finally converting her fourth match point.

Pegula holds a 2-0 lifetime edge over Vekic, with their two previous meetings taking place on grass.

Venus Williams Falls At The First Hurdle

Seven-time major singles champion Venus Williams was defeated by France’s Diane Parry, 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-1 on Stadium 1. The 45-year-old legend still ticked off a piece of history, becoming the oldest player to contest a match in Tennis Paradise.

“Of course losing isn't fun, but it's great to play in front of a home crowd,” Williams said after the loss. “They were behind me the whole way, and that was really fun for that.

“I have amazing fans that believe in me, and it's fun to play for them, or even in practice when they come out. It's very thrilling. Yeah, today was a tough one, but that's sport and that's life, and I'll take what I need from it.”

Tagger Gets First Win In Tennis Paradise

18-year-old wild card Lilli Tagger of Austria also made use of her wild card on Thursday. The talented Austrian, who is coached by former Grand Slam champion Francesca Schiavone, eased past France’s Varvara Gracheva 6-2, 6-4 to pick up a win on her Indian Wells debut.

“It was an amazing match, so I'm very happy to get through this round, and can't wait to play the next match,” Tagger told reporters after her win.

It has been a meteoric rise for the 2025 Roland Garros girls’ singles champion. She was ranked No. 776 in the world at the start of 2025 and now is perched just outside the Top 100.

Tagger, who turns 19 next February, will face No. 32-seeded Maria Sakkari in the second round.

American Ashlyn Krueger was also a winner. The 21-year-old Texas native topped Poland’s Magda Linette, 6-1, 6-4, while Sofia Kenin was defeated by Katerina Siniakova, 1-6, 6-4, 6-1.