Kevin Connelly, the resort’s Head Professional and PBI Head Professional of the year, stopped by with a few quick thoughts before the matches begin.
March Madness is here! The month of March signals tournament time, but we’re not speaking about college basketball. We’re talking about the BNP Paribas Open, the world’s 5th largest tournament, featuring the top ATP & WTA players from around the world! This year’s tournament starts up today and finishes up on March 20th featuring top players such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Caroline Wozniacki & Kim Clijsters.
There will be 48 players in each draw vying for 12 spots in the main draws. First-round play will begin Wednesday, March 9 for the women and Thursday, March 10 for the men. The men’s and women’s singles championship finals will be held on Sunday, March 20. For information or to buy tickets, visit www.bnpparibasopen.com, call the Indian Wells Tennis Garden at 800-999-1585, or visit the box office, 78-200 Miles Avenue, Indian Wells, CA 92210.
During the tournament most fans are unsure of what to focus on when watching a match. The game is played at such high speeds it’s sometimes hard to focus on anything but the bright green ball being hit around the court. So we will give you one thing to take a look at that every professional player on both the ATP & WTA tours use during all aspects of a match: the opposite hand (or non-hitting hand).
The opposite hand is a key fundamental in every aspect of the game. Whether you are waiting to hit a return of serve, to serve, hitting a groundstroke or a volley the opposite hand is always in action. Ever watch a top tour player celebrate a shot? Think about Mr. Federer and all his titles…notice he celebrates with his racket in the opposite hand?
There are four main functions for the opposite hand. To learn about all four functions, join us for our Groundstrokes Clinic every Monday & Friday from 8am-9am!
And if you aren’t in town to attend the tournament in person, make sure to look for Rancho Las Palmas during the Tennis Channel’s “Fan’s Guide to Indian Wells”, as Rancho is proud to be the only desert property featured!
Hope to see you on the courts soon!
- Kevin Connolly, Director of Tennis
The Rancho Las Palmas 25 court tennis facility is one of Tennis Magazine’s top 50 USA tennis resorts, and is the host facility for the Easter Bowl, the largest and most prestigious National Junior Tournament in the country. Tennis Resorts Online also rates Rancho one of the World’s Top 75 Tennis Resorts. The tennis program is under the direction of Peter Burwash International, the world’s premier tennis management company.
