Tuesday’s riches of highlights in Indian Wells are (4) Rafael Nadal vs. Fernando “Hot Sauce” Verdasco in an all-Spanish, (5) Kei Nishikori vs. (30) Steve Johnson, (1) Noval Djokovic vs. (27) Philipp Kohlschreiber, (11) Dominic Thiem vs. (21) Jack Sock, (7) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. (31) Sam Querrey, and (16) Gilles Simon vs. Alexander Zverev.

“I think Genie played really well, especially in the second,” the Swiss said. “She pushed me a lot to make errors.”

“I feel amazing,” he said. “It’s a great feeling to get my first ATP win, and to do it in a 1,000 event, to play Djokovic, it’s a pretty surreal feeling. I’m going to enjoy this as much as I can right now.”

What, too early for Maria jokes?

“I just felt everything and it just felt so good I was overwhelmed and it was a great feeling,” she said. “It was an emotional time. The crowd was just so amazing and so nice.”

All the hubbub surrounds Serena, but Venus is not ending her boycott since last playing in 2001. “I made my schedule up,” Venus said about missing IW again. “I’m entered in Miami, and that’s pretty much what it is. I haven’t really given a lot of thought to it. I have just been focusing on this year…I just respect every decision [Serena] makes, pretty much. It’s nothing complicated about it.”

On the women’s side in first-round action the notable winners were American Jamie Hampton topping countrywoman (WC) Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-1 in the third, American (WC) Madison Keys outlasting countrywoman Melanie Oudin in three, and American (WC) Taylor Townsend getting her first WTA win, beating Lucie Hradecka from a set down.

“Victoria is extremely solid and makes you work for every point,” Sharapova said. “Ultimately she maybe forces you to want to do a little more than either you should or would want to. She’s really fit, as well. And she’s playing with a lot of confidence — you get that sense when she’s moving around the court and hitting the ball.”

The big-serving encounter between Roddick and Isner advanced to 7-5, 4-2 in only an hour as the players exchanged few rallies. For Roddick it was revenge for a loss to Isner at the US Open.

Instead of putting money into player development maybe the U.S.T.A. could try and get some Eastern Europeans to change their nationalities aka Kazakhstan’s Davis Cup team?

Notes: Clijsters vs. Jankovic QF seems likely, but some young guns in the section in Kvitova and Petkovic, and the hot-and-cold Bartoli; (21) Petkovic vs. Safarova looming 2nd rd., and prospect of (19) Ivanovic getting beaten by 40+ year old Date-Krumm 2nd rd.; all-Serb Jankovic vs. Ivanovic possible 4th rd.

“Today I was ready from the start,” said Jankovic, who blamed last year’s campaign on over-training and niggling injuries and doubts. “I went out there knowing my game plan, what I needed to do. I wanted to be really aggressive, but at the same time patient and not really go for too much. I waited for my opportunities and when I had them, I took them.”

So which Melanie Oudin is it, the “fearless” youngster who made a run to the US Open quarterfinals, or the one who collapsed in a tight 6-0 third-set loss in the first round at Indian Wells?…

Where did wildcard Justine Henin land? In the third quarter, opening against Slovak Maggie Rybarikova. Also in her path: No. 31 Gisela Dulko, No. 5 Radwanska, No. 11 Bartoli, then probably No. 4 Dementieva to reach the semis. Radwanska will have a tough opener against either Anna Chakvetadze or Anne Keothavong after a bye.

Williams will now take a three-week break from the tour as she is not in the draw at Monterrey, Mexico this week, and annually skips the two-week Indian Wells event since 2001 when her sister and father branded the event and California fans racists after they booed the sisters when Venus defaulted five minutes prior to a scheduled semifinal match against Serena, and booed Serena in the final. The sisters’ father, Richard, says he heard racists comments during the final.