Ready for some Tennis?
Living in California offers so many great possibilities that one can surely feel spoiled. Not only do we have the ocean and snowy mountains right in our vicinity, but also world class tennis is part of California living. Every year in spring the BNP PARIBAS Open attracts thousands of tennis enthusiasts to watch the world’s best in tennis compete right here in Indian Wells, CA, just a two-hours drive away from L.A.!
On March 4-17, 2013 it’s time again for one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world. For a couple of weeks world class tennis will make its home at the beautiful Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Plan ahead and get ready for some suspenseful matches watching Federer, Djokovic, Azarenka and Sharapova and so many other world ranked players compete for the title!
Fun Facts about BNP PARIBAS Open at Indian Wells:
Last year more than 370,000 fans passed through the gates, making it the most attended tennis tournament in the world behind the four Grand Slams.
The seating capacity of the Stadium Court at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden (16,100) is the second largest of any tennis-only stadium on either Tour. Only the U.S. Open’s Arthur Ashe Stadium (22,500) is larger.
Hawkeye replay technology was installed on all match courts for the 2011 event. To this day, the BNP Paribas Open remains the only tournament in the world, including the four grand slams, to have the line call challenge system on every match court.
In 2011, the BNP Paribas Open became the first non-Grand Slam tennis tournament to offer $1 million to its singles champions, increasing total prize money to more than $11 million.
In 2012, Roger Federer became the only four-time men’s champion of the BNP Paribas Open. His previous titles came consecutively in 2004, 2005 and 2006, the only player to win three consecutive times.
Annually, the men’s event is the first of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events played on the ATP schedule. The other eight premier events are held in Miami, Monte Carlo, Rome, Madrid, Montreal/Toronto, Cincinnati, Shanghai and Paris.
The women’s event is one of only four Premier Mandatory Events on the WTA. The others are Miami, Madrid and Beijing
———- Source: BNP Paribas Open Photo: CaliforniaGermans (Federer at BNP Paribas Open 2012)Related articles
- World Class Tennis in California – Indian Wells, a Tennis Lover’s Eldorado (CaliforniaGermans.com)
- ATP votes to approve Indian Wells prize money increase (usatoday.com)
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