Clijsters, Murray handed wildcards for Indian Wells

[October 01, 2021] LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Former world number ones Kim Clijsters and Andy Murray were on Thursday awarded wildcards into the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.

 Andy Murray of Britain reacts during his men's doubles quarterfinal match REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

Four-times major winner Clijsters will continue her career comeback after a seven-year hiatus that ended in 2019 at the tournament she has won twice.

Three-times Grand Slam champion Murray will look to improve on his best career finish at the tournament in 2015, when he reached the semi-finals.

Fellow Briton and reigning U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu has also received a main draw wildcard.

The 18-year-old became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam this month when she beat fellow teenager Leylah Fernandez of Canada in straight sets.

Several top players including world number ones Novak Djokovic and Ash Barty as well as Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka will not be competing at the hardcourt tournament in the Southern California desert.

The WTA 1000 and ATP Masters 1000 event, which was not held last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, runs from Oct. 4–17.

(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles, editing by Ed Osmond)

[© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2021 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.