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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Serena Williams ends 14-year boycott with return to Indian Wells

 (Associated Press)

Serena Williams returned to the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California on Thursday, ending a 14-year personal boycott of the $5 million tournament that began when she was booed as a teenager on her way to winning the title in 2001. Williams took questions a day before the world’s top-ranked women’s player is to compete in her first match. She never thought she would return to the two-week tournament in the Southern California desert. “I was a little nervous to come out here,” she said. “In the beginning, I was like, ‘What was I thinking?’ I kind of had to overcome that hurdle.” Last month, Williams announced her change of heart toward the tournament. Her father Richard said he heard racial slurs in the crowd when Williams, at 19, won the 2001 final over Kim Clijsters. – AP