INDIAN WELLS:
Reigning Grand Slam champions Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff reached the fourth round of the ATP-WTA Indian Wells Masters on Monday with challenging straight sets victories.
But former number one and 2018 tournament winner Naomi Osaka failed to join them, with the Japanese player knocked out 7-5, 6-4 by Elise Mertens, who now faces Gauff.
The Belgian saved three break points in the final game, advancing to her second match point that caused an error in Osaka.
Osaka, a four-time major winner, is returning to tennis this season after giving birth.
Earlier, two-time Australian Open champion Sabalenka defeated Emma Raducanu 6-3, 7-5 but double-faulted in one match and needed three more chances to win before finally going through.
The 2023 runner-up to Elena Rybakina here faced a tougher-than-expected challenge from 2021 US Open champion Raducanu, who returned to tournament tennis this year after an eight-month injury layoff.
Gauff, who won the US Open last September as a teenager, beat Lucia Bronzetti 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) as she sealed victory in a tiebreak with minimal drama.
Sabalenka is playing just her second event since claiming her second trophy at Melbourne Park. he has now won 13 of 15 matches this season.
Raducanu, ranked 250th and playing as a wildcard, was only able to convert on one of her 10 break chances against the second seed.
The win in 97 minutes took Sabalenka’s WTA Masters 1000 match-leading total to 82 wins.
“I was very happy to close this match in two sets; the last game was tight,” Sabalenka said.
“It was a key moment. If I had lost that game it would have given her emotionally a lot more belief and confidence – going into the tiebreak you never know, it’s 50/50.
“I didn’t want that to happen. That’s why I felt relieved after closing this match in two sets.”
Gauff had to fight his way past the 53rd-ranked Bronzetti, with the American eventually closing out a straight sets win in a tiebreak.
The US Open champion, who turns 20 on Wednesday, won her sixth straight match against Italian opposition.
“He played really well,” the winner said of Bronzetti. “But I was a lot better than my last fight – I’m getting better with each one.”
In the men’s draw, seventh seed Holger Rune finally reached the court after a first-round bye and a second-round bye against the injured Milos Raonic.
The 20-year-old Dane went down and ran in the event with a 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) defeat of Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti, avenging a defeat on grass last June at London’s Queen’s Club.
“It’s great to finally start,” he said after reaching the fourth round here for the first time.
“The wait is finally over, I was so eager to play, although I took two extra days of training.” This month’s Acapulco semifinalist said he could have played better against Musetti.
“I’m working to convert as many break points as possible. At the start of the second set I could have done more – but you learn from everything,” he said. “I’m happy to get the win in good form.”
The ninth-ranked Norwegian Casper Rud advanced from France’s Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-4.
French top seed Gael Monfils ended 2021 champion Cameron Norrie’s run, with the 36-year-old winner and the Briton playing out a whopping 31 break points in a match Monfils won 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7 ). /5), 6-3.
Tommy Paul earned a home win with a 6-4, 6-4 defeat of Dubai champion Hugo Humbert. Taylor Fritz with him, 6-2, 6-2 over Argentina’s Sebastian Baez. str/rcw
a href=”https://tribune.com.pk/story/2459152/sabalenka-gauff-advance-at-indian-wells”>Source link
