Serena Williams, Hingis in Same Half of the Draw

It was just another rainy day in the desert on the women’s tour.

Apparently, the bad weather has followed it from Scottsdale, Ariz. The rainy, chilly conditions there prevented the women’s final between No. 1-ranked Martina Hingis of Switzerland and No. 2 Lindsay Davenport of Newport Beach from being played on Sunday or Monday.

They gave up, came to California and were welcomed by more rain late Wednesday morning at the new $75-million Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

A handful of first-round qualifying matches were postponed until today. First-round action begins Friday in the Indian Wells Tennis Masters Series, and the women’s draw was on Wednesday.

Defending champion Serena Williams is the main obstacle to a Hingis-Davenport final. Williams is in the same half of the draw as Hingis and they could meet in the semifinals, if form holds. Also in that bracket are fifth-seeded Mary Pierce of France, seventh-seeded Monica Seles and 12th-seeded Jennifer Capriati.

Davenport is in the same half of the draw as fourth-seeded Nathalie Tauziat of France, sixth-seeded Conchita Martinez of Spain and eighth-seeded Anna Kournikova of Russia.

The only players in the top 20 not appearing at Indian Wells are Venus Williams and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario of Spain. Williams, who has been out because of tendinitis in both wrists, was not scheduled to play here.

There are several potentially intriguing second-round matches:

* The third-seeded Williams will play her childhood friend, Alexandra Stevenson. Both have first-round byes.

Stevenson has struggled since reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon, losing in the first round at the U.S. Open and Australian Open. She also went out in the opening round last week at Scottsdale, losing to Capriati.

* Dominique Van Roost of Belgium will play 15th-seeded Amanda Coetzer of South Africa. Van Roost, ranked 20th, has been as high as No. 9 in the world.

* Belgian teenager Kim Clijsters, who nearly beat eventual champion Serena Williams at the U.S. Open in the third round, will face Amelie Mauresmo of France.

Wild-card spots were given to Holly Parkinson, Lilia Osterloh and Tara Snyder, and Jessica Steck of South Africa, Daja Bedanova of the Czech Republic and Olga Barabanschikova of Belarus.

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The Facts

* What: Indian Wells Tennis Masters Series

* When: Friday-March 19. Women’s qualifying began Wednesday. Main-draw play begins Friday for the women, Monday for the men.

* Surface: Hard court.

* Prize money: Combined $4.45 million, $2 million (women), $2.45 million (men).

* Defending champions: Mark Philippoussis and Serena Williams.