BNP Indian Wells Oct 4-17

[jimlosaltos]

As rumored,
The 2021 BNP Paribas Open will be a combined ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 event, held October 4 – 17 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. This is right on top of Shanghai as I predicted, but the ATP calendar still lists Shanghai. Stay tuned. Tickets go on sale July 7th. "All fans will be required to show valid proof of full vaccination in order to enter the Indian Wells Tennis Garden for the tournament." {Note: Surrounding Riverside County remains on a covid alert despite California overall having one of the lowest infection rates and highest vaccination rates."


If my memory is correct, the men's draw is smaller, while I think the women's is the same at 128: The first-ever fall edition of the BNP Paribas Open will feature a women’s event with 96-player singles draws, 32-player singles qualifying draws, and 32-team doubles draws, while the men’s event will feature 56-player singles draws, 28-player singles qualifying draws, and 28-team doubles draws.

This will be the first event with full prize money. Open tix go on sale July 7th.

Second Rumor: The entire WTA asian swing has been cancelled. Supposedly, the WTA is still trying to save the year-end playoffs.

That is a disaster. The WTA reportedly gets 50% of its annual income from the Asian swing, due mainly to sponsor money. That's why you see events there with no fans. $ponsor$.



FYI - I believe October in Indian Wells is typically slightly warmer than the event's normal dates in March.

https://bnpparibasopen.com/october/

[jimlosaltos]

For those that like the background rumors, there's this. Some of the PTPA cohort were virulently critical of the ATP online, claiming that the ATP refused to allow Larry Ellison to hold Indian Wells in October because he was offering full prize money. Yes, they claimed that.

John Millman stopped in to politely say that was ignorant. That the ATP offered BNP multiple, alternative weeks, but that they (Larry) insisted on one, particular week and wouldn't take the offered slots. Rumor had it that was opposite Shanghai, because it is an M1000 and Larry was playing a game of brinksmanship that it would be cancelled and he could slip into its slot which would help with the top player access.

Looks like his draw to a straight came through, although Shanghai's cancellation has not been announced. To quote Mel Brooks: "It is good to be king (er a deca-billionaire)" <g>

[stotty]

Smart man that Larry. One imagines he gets his way much of the time. These billionaires generally do.

[jimlosaltos]

Smart man that Larry. One imagines he gets his way much of the time. These billionaires generally do.

They used to say that Larry rode around with a team of lawyers in the trunk of his Bentley.

Got stopped for speeding once. Speed all the way to the corporate parking lot, then refused to come out of his car and called his lawyers. Just stayed there, cooly, with the police cars around him until his lawyers arrived and took over.

Used to fly his private jet into San Jose airport after the curfew, when the noise bothers locals. City told him to stop so he just tied them up in court until they figured it was to expensive to enforce the law. Yes, we've gotten to the point where some technocrats have more money than the government <g>,

Another time, he was faced with a harassment suit by a woman he dated. Instead of settling, he had a cyber forensic team go through her digital footprint until they found a message asking another women to collaborate in extorting him. She went to jail.

But, I fear I'm going off track for a tennis site ... / jim

[stotty]

They used to say that Larry rode around with a team of lawyers in the trunk of his Bentley.

Got stopped for speeding once. Speed all the way to the corporate parking lot, then refused to come out of his car and called his lawyers. Just say there, cooly, with the police cars around him until his lawyers arrived and took over.

Used to fly his private jet into San Jose airport after the curfew, when the noise bothers locals. City told him to stop so he just tied them up in court until they figured it was to expensive to enforce the law. Yes, we've gotten to the point where some technocrats have more money than the government <g>,

Another time, he was faced with a harassment suit by a women he dated. Instead of settling, he had a cyber forensic team go through her digital footprint until they found a message asking another women to collaborate in extorting him. She went to jail.

But, I fear I'm going off track for a tennis site ... / jim

Going off track sometimes ends up in a more interesting place than where you started. I am not a fan of check book justice but it seems to happen a lot, especially over there in America. An awful lot of rich people seem to get off the hook on a legal technicality.

I do like Larry's tournament though. I think it's my fifth favourite outside of the four slams. He knows how to lay on a show.

[jimlosaltos]

Update: Shanghai cancelled, so BNP Indian Wells expands men's draw.

This means both WTA and ATP draws will be the full 128/96, with men's play starting earlier in the event.

The men's event has expanded to a full 2 weeks and BNPPO21 will be staged as a combined, mandatory ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 event. Join the celebration

https://bnpparibasopen.com/news/2021-bnp-paribas-open-expands-mens-event-to-two-weeks/