Bernarda Pera defeated Caty McNally 6–2, 6–1 in the first round of the Indian Wells Masters 1000 on hard court on 6 March 2019, upsetting the pre-match favourite McNally. Pera's dominant performance saw her claim both sets with relative ease, breaking serve consistently to control the match from the outset. McNally, who entered as the betting favourite at 1.58 odds to Pera's 2.52, failed to impose her game and struggled to find rhythm against her opponent's aggressive baseline play. The decisive victory marked a strong opening to Pera's campaign at the California event and demonstrated her capability to perform well against seeded or favoured opposition on the WTA circuit.