North Americans are now 0-10 on Stadium 1 of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, as Eugenie Bouchard and Ryan Harrison both lost their first-round matches there on Thursday night.
Both matches were three-setters, with Bouchard losing 6-3, 2-6, 2-6 to Germany’s Annika Beck, and Harrison coming up just short 4-6, 6-3, 5-7 to Damir Džumhur, who, at 24, has been playing his best tennis yet in recent weeks.
Americans who lost on the court during the day session include Irina Falconi, Frances Tiafoe and Alison Riske.
7 Americans in a row have lost in stadium 1 at the @BNPPARIBASOPEN 😬 @Riske4rewards is up next…can she break this terrible curse?? @usta
— Raymon Burton (@RaymonBurton) March 10, 2017
Perhaps Americans could request to NOT be on Stadium 1 until absolutely necessary. 0-8 there and only Day 2. #BNPPO17
— Jeff Klein 🖊️⌨️🗞️ (@jeffklein68) March 10, 2017
Rough start for Americans at #BNPPO17, going 0-9 on Stadium 1 through first two days, and 7-13 overall.
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) March 10, 2017
Bouchard started her match swinging — and missing — in the first game, which gave Beck an early break point. And when Bouchard hit a shallow forehand, Beck replied with a winner to break.
In the next game, Bouchard had an opportunity to break back, but she missed a forehand long, and Beck wound up pulling off the hold to consolidate.
Down 1-2, Bouchard has yet another chance to tie the set up, but this time she failed to convert on two separate break points, and Beck took a 3-1 lead.
But then down 2-3, Bouchard had yet another break point, which she converted when Beck missed a forehand wide. 3-3.
Bouchard went on to win the next three games to take the set 6-3.
That is where things started to turn around for Beck. The German, despite her shaky serving, took advantage of a plethora of mistakes by Bouchard and won the first four games of the second set.
Bouchard answered by crushing winners, but it was too little too late, and Beck finished the set off at 6-2.
In the final set, Beck broke for 2-0 on a forehand volley winner. She then sliced a 67-mph ace on her way to holding for 3-0.
The 67mph ace https://t.co/0D38XAHOWO
— David Law (@DavidLawTennis) March 10, 2017
The next five games went to the returner, making it 2-6.
Annika Beck closes out the night with a comeback, beats Eugenie Bouchard 36 62 62. Plays Kiki Mladenovic next. #BNPPO17
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) March 10, 2017
In Round 2, Beck will see No. 28 seed Kristina Mladenovic, against whom she has a 0-2 record.
In the nightcap, Harrison got off to a bad start and lost the first four games. Džumhur held on to win the set 6-4.
The second set was quite the opposite, with Harrison taking a 3-0 lead and winning it 6-3.
The decider was the closest, though. 3-3, 4-4, 5-5; it took a last-minute break from Džumhur for the Bosnian to squeeze out the win.
Another BH into the net and Ry gets broken for the match. *sigh*
— Tennis Inside Out (@TennisInsideOut) March 10, 2017
Džumhur’s next opponent will be No. 22 seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas.
