Crowned as the first-ever FILA International Junior Championships champion last March in the California desert, Clervie Ngounoue earned a wild card into this year’s BNP Paribas Open qualifying tournament as a result. 

Making good on her promise, the talented Washington, D.C. native would soon head to London and win the Wimbledon girls’ singles title without dropping a single set.  

Ngounoue, a former junior No. 1 with a current WTA ranking of No. 208, took the next step at the BNP Paribas Open on Monday, storming past veteran Frenchwoman Alizé Cornet 6-2, 6-3 before an energized crowd on Stadium 4. 

On a sunny, mild day at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, Ngounoue was stellar on serve against the former World No. 11, winning 23 of 30 first-serve points and saving two of the four break points she faced. She broke Cornet six times in the contest and never trailed across the whole of the one hour and 21-minute encounter. 

17-year-old Ngounoue, bidding to reach her first 1000-level main draw this week in California, will face fellow American Taylor Townsend in the final round of qualifying on Tuesday, with the winner earning a coveted spot in the main draw. 

Townsend, ranked No. 77, toppled Iva Jovic 6-1, 6-2 on Stadium 5. She's bidding to make her eighth main draw appearance at Indian Wells (best performance: second round in 2013, 2014 and 2015), and was similarly dominant on serve. She dropped just 11 service points against Jovic and saved the only break point she faced in the 64-minute tussle.  

Townsend won the first five games against Jovic, won more than half her return points (23/43) and broke serve four times from eight opportunities. 

Eight Americans – Robin Montgomery, Bernarda Pera, Ngounoue, Townsend, Claire Liu, Kayla Day, Liv Hovde and Hailey Baptiste – have reached the final round of qualifying, and can reach the main draw with wins on Tuesday. 

Keep up with live scores and results from qualifying play here: