Girls Gone Wildcard as Teens Strike at WTA Indian Wells

Five wildcard winners led the advance on the second day of unseeded play Thursday at the WTA stop at Indian Wells in an "attack of the teens."

Wildcards advancing into the second round were 15-year-old Sesil Karatantcheva (d. Weingartner, coming from a set down), Czech Daja Bedanova (d. countrywoman Peschke in three), 16-year-old American Jessica Kirkland (d. (Q) Voskoboeva 7-6 in the third, saving a match point), the Ukraine's 16-year-old Viktoriya Kutuzova (d. (Q) Gagliardi), and post-teen American Angela Haynes (d. Santangelo).

The outspoken Karatantcheva made her WTA Tour debut as a 14-year-old last year at Indian Wells, advancing to the third round. The Bulgarian's win this year earns her a meeting with world No. 1 Lindsay Davenport in the second round.

In 2004 Karatancheva said she was going to "kick her butt" prior to a meeting with Maria Sharapova, but this year "The Mouth" is more subdued in her approach.

"I'm going to approach things more professionally," Karatancheva said. "Besides, I was 14 (last year). I have a right for one strike."

The other two wildcards in action Thursday were losers in 15-year-old American Alexa Glatch (l. to countrywoman Craybas) and Russian Alisa Kleybanova (l. to Anne "Kosmo" Kremer).

Other un-seeds into the second round were Americans Lindsay Lee-Waters (d. Pastikova, coming from a set down) and qualifier Shikha Uberoi (d. Morigami), Korea's Yoon Jeong Cho (d. Marrero from a set down), Slovak Ludmila Cervanova (d. (Q) Yakimova from a set down), Ukrainian lucky loser Alyona Bondarenko (d. Srebotnik in three), Italian qualifier Antonella Serra "Nevada" Zanetti (d. Strycova from a set down), France's Emilie Loit (d. Mandula, bagel in the second), Spain's Maria Sanchez Lorenzo (d. Schaul, bagel in the second), and Czech teen wunderkind Nicole Vaidisova (d. Washington).

"Last year I proved I can play on the pro tour," the 15-year-old Vaidisova said. "This year I need to take another step and start beating the big players. It's just a matter of time."

On Friday the seeded players finally come out to play, with scheduled matches (16) Asagoe vs. the former No. 1 Clijsters, Garbin vs. (2) Mauresmo, Spears vs. (4) Dementieva, (5) Kuznetsova vs. (Q) Birnerova, (14) Tatiana "Hot Pants" Golovin vs. Fedak, (8) Bovina vs. (Q) Kirilenko in an all-Russian, (23) Martinez vs. Randriantefy, (WC) Jamea "Action" Jackson vs. (12) Suarez, (30) Linetskaya vs. Granville, (Q) Diaz-Oliva vs. (21) Gisela "Sgt." Dulko in an all-Argentine, Domachowska vs. (28) Anabel "Funky Cold" Medina Garrigues, (Q) Talaja vs. (32) Vento-Kabchi, (26) Groenefeld vs. Beltrame, Chakvetadze vs. (18) Jankovic, (Q) Fujiwara vs. (9) Schiavone, and (24) Benesova vs. Llagostera Vives.