Player Fields Announced for Oracle Challenger Series — Indian Wells
Tournament Set for February 24 – March 4, 2018 at Indian Wells Tennis Garden
Indian Wells, Calif. – (February 8, 2018) – Tournament officials have announced the men’s and women’s player fields for the second event of the inaugural Oracle Challenger Series, which will be played February 24 – March 4, 2018 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
Americans in the men’s singles draw include Oracle Challenger Series – Newport Beach singles champion Taylor Fritz, along with Bjorn Fratangelo, Stefan Kozlov, Tim Smyczek and Frances Tiafoe. Fritz, the highest ranked player on the men’s entry list, is currently ranked No. 83 in the ATP World Tour singles rankings.
Other players in the men’s field include former Wimbledon doubles champion Vasek Pospisil of Canada, former Top 10 player Mikhail Youzhny of Russia, Jeremy Chardy of France and Dudi Sela of Israel.
Americans Jennifer Brady, Varvara Lepchenko, Taylor Townsend, Alison Riske, Sachia Vickery and Sofia Kenin will headline the women’s singles draw. Brady, who reached the fourth round at last year’s US Open, is the highest ranked American in the women’s field at No. 87 in the world.
Among other player entries in the women’s field are former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy, Naomi Osaka of Japan, Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia and Andrea Petkovic of Germany. The 20-year-old Osaka, currently ranked No. 51 in the WTA singles rankings is the highest ranked player on the women’s entry list.
The draws will also include qualifiers (4 men and 6 women) from the qualifying tournament, scheduled for February 24-25, and wildcard entrants (4 men and 6 women), which will be announced in the coming weeks. To view the complete men’s and women’s entry lists, go to: oraclechallengerseries.com.
The tournament in Indian Wells is the second event of the Oracle Challenger Series. The first event was played on January 20-28, 2018 at the Newport Beach Tennis Club in Newport Beach, Calif. Fritz of Palos Verdes, Calif., captured the men’s singles title with a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 victory over fellow American Bradley Klahn in the final. Former two-time NCAA singles champion Danielle Collins of St. Petersburg, Fla., defeated Sofya Zhuk of Russia 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the women’s singles final.
The top two male and female Americans with the highest accumulated points in the Oracle Challenger Series will be awarded wildcards in their respective singles main draws at the 2018 BNP Paribas Open, held March 5-18 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
Admission and on-site parking for spectators is free for each day of the event. For additional tournament information, go to: oraclechallengerseries.com.
