French world number 39 Alize Cornet has withdrawn from the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells due to a stress fracture in her back. Kazakh world number 56 Yulia Putintseva moves into the main draw after Cornet's withdrawal. Cornet faces up to six months out with the back injury.
Cornet's Difficult Start To 2016
The Frenchwoman started her season at the Brisbane International where she fell in the second round to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The next week, Cornet won her fifth WTA title at the Hobart International, obliterating former Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard in the final. At the first Grand Slam of the season, the Australian Open, the Frenchwomen fell in the second round to qualifier Shuai Zhang in straight sets. Cornet has not played since then due to back issues.
Cornet's Previous Indian Wells Runs
The Frenchwomen first played in Indian Wells in her breakthrough season in 2009, losing in her opening match to country women Kristina Barrois. In 2010, Cornet fell in the first round to Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro. The next year in 2011, the former Dubai finalist made it all the way through qualifying to the second round, losing to then defending French Open champion Francesca Schiavone in straight sets. Cornet fell in the second round of qualifying in 2012, before losing in the second round in 2013 to eventual finalist and former champion Caroline Wozniacki. In 2014, the former Rome finalist fell in the round of sixteen to eventual finalist Agnieszka Radwanska in two tight sets. Last year Cornet fell in the third round to qualifier Lesia Tsurenko.
Putintseva's Impressive Start To 2016
The Kazakh began her year losing in the opening round of the ASB Classic in Auckland to New Zealand native Marina Erakovic in two tie break sets. Putintseva then failed to qualify at the Apia International in Sydney, the week before the Australian Open in Melbourne. In Melbourne, Putintseva stunned former world number one Caroline Wozniacki in the first round, before falling in the third round to young Russian Margarita Gasparyan. The Russian born Kazakh made the semifinals a few weeks ago in Kaohsiung where she fell to eventual champion Venus Williams in the last four. Most recently, Putintseva made the second round at the Qatar Total Open in Doha, losing to Swiss Timea Bacsinszky in the second round.
Putintseva's Previous Indian Wells Results
Putintseva has only made it to the main draw of Indian Wells once before, last year. In 2015, the Kazakh lost in the second round to former French Open champion Ana Ivanovic in straight sets.