Indian Wells, CA (SportsNetwork.com) – Quality Frenchman Julien Benneteau
posted a first-round victory Friday at the $4.72 million BNP Paribas Open
tennis event.
The former top-30 performer overcame Spanish qualifier Daniel Munoz-De La Nava
3-6, 6-1, 6-3 at the beautiful Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Benneteau’s second-
round opponent will be ninth-seeded compatriot Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Also advancing on Day 2 were Russian Teymuraz Gabashvili, Kazakhstan’s Mikhail
Kukushkin, Taipei’s Yen-Hsun Lu, and Portuguese Joao Sousa.
This week’s top seeds are three-time champion Rafael Nadal, two-time winner
Novak Djokovic and Australian Open champ Stan Wawrinka. Four-time Indian Wells
champion Roger Federer, fresh off his title in Dubai, is the seventh seed.
Wawrinka and Federer are currently playing a doubles match together.
The three-time Indian Wells titlist Nadal beat Juan Martin del Potro in last
year’s marquee finale.