Claire Liu blog: Amazing to be at Indian Wells

Fifteen-year-old Claire Liu of Thousand Oaks, Calif., won her first pro singles title at the $10,000 USTA Pro Circuit event in Orlando, Fla., last year at the age of 14 years, 9 months and 25 days old, becoming the youngest woman to win a USTA Pro Circuit tournament since Anna Kournikova in 1996 and the sixth-youngest ever. In junior play, Liu is coming off a runner-up finish at last week's prestigious USTA International Spring Championships in Carson, Calif. In 2015, she won the girls' 18s ASICS Easter Bowl title, advanced to the Orange Bowl quarterfinals and reached the third round at junior Wimbledon. Currently ranked No. 25 in the ITF World Junior Rankings, Liu is in Indian Wells, Calif., with hopes of defending her Easter Bowl title. She is writing a blog from the tournament and, in her first entry, discusses the Spring Championships final, her first day in Palm Springs, her love of good food and more.

April 5, 2016

Hi everyone! It’s Claire Liu here, blogging from Indian Wells, this time not from the pro tournament but from an ITF Junior one – the Easter Bowl!

I arrived in Palm Springs yesterday after a battle in the final of the International Spring Championship at Carson against one of my best friends, Kayla Day. It was a pretty good week, even though it ended with a loss. I got to the site, checked in, hung out with some friends and just relaxed.

Today I had a 12 o’clock practice set up, and I got up fairly early, so I went with my mom to an AMAZING breakfast place called Wilma and Frieda’s Cafe. The food was really good, and I got a great fuel up before my hit.

It was my first day hitting in Palm Springs, so my goal was to try to get a good rhythm and feeling for the atmosphere and the courts. I was hitting the ball fairly clean and did a little movement to get a good sweat in.

After putting in the work, I went down to Whole Foods and got a good healthy feast. (Those who know me know that getting good food is a very high priority.) I showered and went back to the life of a “normal” teenager, getting some school in before the next meal.

Whether it’s the BNP Paribas or Easter Bowl, it’s always so nice and amazing to be at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. The facility and courts are the best, and the tournament is so nicely run. Hopefully I can enjoy Palm Springs as much as possible and stay out here till the end!

Thanks for reading, and have a good day!

Claire Liu