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Taylor Townsend celebrates after winning her first match as a professional Thursday at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif.
© Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
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American teenager Taylor Townsend won her first-ever professional match Thursday at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., defeating 27-year-old Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic, 3-6, 7-6 (1), 6-3.
The 16-year-old from Stonebridge, Ga., was the ITF World Junior Champion in 2012 and turned pro at the start of the year.
Townsend said she "wasn't really nervous when I got on the court, but when I got up (ahead) I got really nervous. In the tiebreaker I was just trying to keep myself calm, so I wouldn't get ahead of myself. I've always thought that I belonged at this level, it's always been a dream of mine.''
Also Thursday, Jamie Hampton, who advanced to the fourth round last year at Indian Wells, moved into the second round thanks to a 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 victory over fellow American Bethanie Mattek-Sands. And in the first night match of the 10-day tournament, Madison Keys beat Melanie Oudin, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, in an another all-American matchup.
On Saturday, Rafael Nadal plays his first hard-court match in a year when he takes on young American Ryan Harrison, who beat Go Soeda of Japan, 6-0, 4-6, 6-3, to advance to the second round.
Information from The Associated Press was used in compiling this report.