Skip to content
BNP Paribas Open
  • Tickets & Packages
  • Tennis Paradise Experience
  • News
Get tickets

Indian Wells, California

March 6 - 19, 2023

Get tickets
  • The Tennis Paradise Experience
  • Tickets & Packages Toggle
    • Series Packages
    • Mini Packages
    • Hotel Ticket Packages
    • Group Packages
    • Luxury Suites
    • My Tickets Account
  • News
  • Tournament Toggle
    • Competition Schedule
    • 2022 Results
    • 2022 Players
    • Venue ↗
    • History
  • Plan Your Visit
  • Get Involved Toggle
    • Volunteers
    • Ball Crew
    • Employment Opportunities
  • Partnerships Toggle
    • Partners
    • Partnership Opportunities
  • Shop ↗
  • Contact
BNP Paribas Open Insider News
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
WTA

Women’s Final Preview
Kerber vs. Andreescu

by Richard Osborn
03/16/2019

Eighth-Ranked German Faces Big Challenge in First Wildcard Finalist

Angelique Kerber stood beaming in the South Plaza of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Behind her, Arthur Ashe Stadium rose like the Colosseum, a 24,000-seat proving ground built, ironically, atop a former ash heap.

“You have to believe in your dreams.” — 2016 champ @AngeliqueKerber, appropriately over the rainbow at the #USOpen pic.twitter.com/B04iPZQofy

— Richard Osborn (@RWOsborn) September 11, 2016

Clutching a Tiffany & Co. trophy, she posed for a semi-circled horde of photographers. The Bremen-born baseliner had just put the finishing touches on her second major title of 2016 and, for the first time in her career, was the world No. 1. She was the oldest player to debut atop the rankings since 25-year-old Jennifer Capriati in 2001. It was a pot-of-gold-at-the-end-of-the-rainbow moment for Kerber, more than a decade into her pro career.

It was only fitting that, amidst the fountains-and-sunshine mix beside her, a rainbow should appear.

At 28, she had finally realized her wildest tennis dreams. However, the woman who’s widely become known by her abbreviated moniker — Angie — wasn’t finished just yet. Though she would struggle to replicate those results the following year, dropping to No. 21, the player long tagged to fill the void left by countrywoman Steffi Graf returned to triumph at Wimbledon in 2018. Now she stands but a Roland Garros title away from a career Grand Slam.

Friday, March 15, 2019 – Angelique Kerber plays Belinda Bencic in the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open in Stadium 1 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California. (Michael Cummo/BNP Paribas Open)

Now 31, Kerber, again a Top-10 regular, is hoping those big-title moments come with more frequency over the next few years. Maybe that’s why she cut ties with Wim Fissette, and is now working with former world No. 5 Rainer Schuttler, the last German man to reach a Grand Slam final (2003 Australian Open).

Her run to the final in Indian Wells has been vintage Kerber: tireless runner pivoting from defense to offense with one swing of the racquet. The lefthander smacked 29 winners and just 12 unforced errors to ease past Yulia Putinseva 6-0, 6-2; broke serve seven times to outlast qualifier Natalia Vikhlyantseva in three sets, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3; roared back from a 4-1 third-set deficit to oust 9th seed Aryna Sabalenka; and outpunched Belinda Bencic in the semis, 6-4, 6-2.

“Kerber is an incredible fighter,” said newcomer Bianca Andreescu, Kerber’s first-time opponent in Sunday’s BNP Paribas Open final. “She redirects her shots. She can hit any shot at any time in any specific place whenever she wants. She has a pretty decent serve. She’s a good mover, great fighter.”

Andreescu, just 18 and the first-ever wildcard to reach the women’s final at the BNP Paribas Open, has some Grand Slam ambitions of her own. In reaching her second WTA final — her first at the Premier Mandatory level —she upset seeds Dominika Cibulkova, Qiang Wang, Garbine Muguruza and Elina Svitolina. The Canadian’s defeat of the Spaniard Muguruza, a two-time Slam champ, was particular noteworthy: a 6-0, 6-1 whitewash.

Friday, March 15, 2019 – Bianca Andreescu plays Elina Svitolina in semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open in Stadium 1 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California. (Jared Wickerham/BNP Paribas Open)

The youngest Indian Wells finalist since Kim Clijsters in 2001, Andreescu now owns five career Top-20 wins.

The Ontarian has won over fans in short order with her on-court versatility and ahead-of-her-years confidence. She meditates daily, wears a coiled hair-tie around her right bicep, and says she can overcome her emotions with a few measured breaths. She’s also just as likely to offer up a moonball or well-timed drop shot as she is to out-punch her opponent from the baseline, as she showed against the 6th-ranked Svitolina in the semis.

Friday, March 15, 2019 – Bianca Andreescu plays Elina Svitolina in the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open in Stadium 1 the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California. (Jared Wickerham/BNP Paribas Open)

“She’s an all-around player,” observed the Ukrainian. “Today, she took her chances. It’s a good sign that she’s playing great tennis. She definitely can be the top of women’s tennis and be one of the top players.”

“She’s really played a great tournament so far,” said Kerber, who is appearing in the first Premier Mandatory final of her career. “She beat tough opponents. She has nothing to lose. She’ll enjoy the final. I will also go out there and try to play like I played in the last matches. I know it will be tough challenge. She’s playing really hard and going for it. She’s the one who is really trying to taking the match into her hands. I know I have to play my best tennis, especially in the important moments.”

It’s said that there’s no substitute for experience. Kerber certainly has the edge there. That might just lead the German to her next over-the-rainbow moment, chasing that ever-elusive pot of gold. Unless Andreescu gets there first.

Angelique KerberAryna SabalenkaBelinda Bencicbianca andreescuDominika CibulkovaElina SvitolinaGarbiñe MuguruzaQiang WangYulia Putintseva
  • Share it with facebook
  • Share it with twitter
  • Share it with email
Popular news
  • 03/23/2022 Video: The Story of the 2022 BNP Paribas Open
  • 03/20/2022 Fritz Snaps 21-Year American Drought, Wins 2022 Men’s Singles Title
  • 03/20/2022 22 for ’22: Tennis Paradise Takeaways
  • 03/20/2022 Swiatek Powers Past Sakkari, Wins 2022 Women’s Title
  • 03/20/2022 Tennis Paradise 2022 in Photos
Recent news
  • fritz 03/24/2022 Video: Taylor Fritz – Sunday, March 20, 2022
  • 03/23/2022 Video: The Story of the 2022 BNP Paribas Open
  • 03/21/2022 Elena Rybakina – Monday, March 14, 2022
  • 03/20/2022 Video: Rafael Nadal – Sunday, March 20, 2022
  • 03/20/2022 22 for ’22: Tennis Paradise Takeaways
Related articles
Naomi Osaka

The Official BNPPO Draw Breakdown: Osaka, Halep lead loaded women’s draw

Naomi Osaka. Ever heard of her? This time last year, not many had. Osaka touched down at the BNP Paribas […]

Read more

19 Takeaways from #BNPPO19

1. Canada is the new tennis powerhouse. The BNP Paribas Open gave many fans their first live-and-in-person glimpse of Great White […]

Read more

Great Fight North: Andreescu Stuns Svitolina

Canadian, 18, First Wildcard to Reach Women’s Final Bianca Andreescu’s coming-out party continued on Friday night at the Indian Wells […]

Read more

Post navigation

PreviousNear-perfect Thiem edges Raonic in semifinal thriller
NextElise Mertens and Aryna Sabalenka Capture 2019 BNP Paribas Open Doubles Title
  • bnp logo
  • penn logo
  • fila logo
  • IW logo
  • emirates logo
  • furgal logo
  • Media
  • Contact
  • Partnerships
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy
  • California Privacy Rights
© 2022 BNP Paribas Open a Desert Champions LLC Event
Close
Get the latest updates
Get the latest updates from Tennis Paradise
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Subscribe