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Britain’s Emma Raducanu put up a brave fight against Aryna Sabalenka at the BNP Paribas Open on Monday, but the World No 2 eventually prevailed in straight sets, while Coco Gauff, Maria © and Daria Kastakina also advanced to the Last 16, but Naomi Osaka fell to Elise Mertens.
The power takes adjusting to because you don’t quite understand it until you face it or hit against it. That’s what I needed today, just some time to adjust, which made it a better match in the second set. Emma Raducanu
The story of the day, perhaps, was Emma Navarro’s win over Elina Svitolina, the young American upsetting the 16th-seeded Ukrainian in 3 sets.
Sabalenka, the reigning Australian champion, dealt with an impressive challenge from Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, who is finding her feet after surgery, with the Belarusian coming through the tight encounter, 6-3 7-5, after an hour and 35 minutes.
Sabalenka is playing only her second event since claiming her second trophy at Melbourne Park, and has now won 13 of 15 matches this season.
Raducanu, currently ranked 250 and playing here as a wild-card, was able to convert on only 1 of her 10 break chances against the No 2 seed.
“I was super-happy to close this match in two sets; the last game was tight,” Sabalenka said afterwards. “It was a key moment. If I had lost that game it would give her, emotionally, much more belief and confidence – going to the tiebreak you never know, It’s 50/50.
“I didn’t want that to happen. That’s why I felt relief after I closed this match in two sets.”
Sabalenka, last year’s Indian Wells runner-up, improves her 2024 win-loss record to 13-2.
“I know that [Raducanu’s] level is there, and she can play some great tennis,” Sabalenka continued. ”But on those key moments, I was focusing on myself, and things that I have to do on court to be in this match, and I think it’s worked well.”
Former British No 1 Emma Raducanu needed time to accustom herself to the power of Aryna Sabalenka in their 3rd round at Indian Wells
© Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Sabalenka, who showed no sign of any ill effects from the rolled ankle she suffered against Peyton Stearns on Saturday, powered her way to a 5-2 lead in the first set, but Raducanu saved a set point in a hold for 5-3, and then garnered 4 break points in the following game, nearly getting back on serve.
Aggressive play from Sabalenka steered the No 2 seed out of danger, though, and she wrapped up the one-set lead with big serving at key moments, striking 19 winners to 9 unforced errors in the process.
Raducanu mounted a similar come-back in the second, battling back from a break down to level at 5-5, when Sabalenka broke her once again to lead 6-5, finishing off that game with a deft drop-shot, but she stared down multiple break points as she served for the match.
The Belarusian weathered those chances one last time, and closed out the win on her 4th match point after back-to-back forehand winners, having faced 10 break points on the day, but successfully evading 9 of them.
“The power takes adjusting to because you don’t quite understand it until you face it or hit against it,” Raducanu said later. “That’s what I needed today, just some time to adjust, which made it a better match in the second set.
“It was a good time for me to play Aryna. In the first set I really needed to adjust to the bounce of her ball, the speed and everything. I was just trying to figure things out.
“Playing Aryna will hold me in better stead because I won’t be surprised by the pace or heaviness of her ball. It’s a good test for me, to see where I can improve, and what I need to get used to.”
Raducanu will drop some 37 places in the world rankings from her present position at No 250, having failed to defend all the 120 points she received for reaching the 4th round here last year, but she has no more points to defend for the rest of the year, and can look forward to rising up listing.
Her next chance comes at the Miami Open next week, where she has received another wild-card into the main draw.
“Indian Wells was a good success,” Raducanu added. “I handled myself a lot better on that match court, and was a lot more positive, and hungry to play. That showed in the tennis that I did play.”
Emma Navarro upset 16th-seeded Elina Svitolina and will meet Aryna Sabalenka next for a place in the quarter-finals
© Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Next up for Sabalenka is the No 23 seed, Emma Navarro, who held off Elina Svitolina to win 6-1 4-6 6-3 and closed out the day’s play.
The win was Navarro’s 17th on the WTA Tour this year, which is now the most by any player, with World No 1 Iga Swiatek and Jelena Ostapenko just behind at 16 wins apiece, and those wins include a title run in Hobart and semi-final appearances in Auckland and San Diego.
The American beat Lesia Tsurenko in the 1st-round in 3 sets, and added another Ukrainian in the 2nd, ending Svitolina’s hopes, also in 3 sets, and serving her a breadstick in the opener.
“I have to give a special shout out to my grandmother,” Navarro said after her latest win. “She’s 92 and she’s awake watching at home. I don’t think she’s missed a match since I’ve been on tour. Shout out to Grammy. Thanks for watching.”
Navarro will now face her biggest challenge in Sabalenka for a spot in the quarter-finals, in what will be their first meeting.
Coco Gauff fought off a spirited second set challenge from Lucia Bronzetti to set up a Last 16 contest with Elise Mertens, who dispatched Naomi Osaka on Monday at Indian Wells
© Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
Earlier on Day 6, Coco Gauff, the reigning US Open champion, also reached the 4th round after a challenging straight-set win against Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti, 6-2 7-6(5).
Gauff, who won her first major last September as a teenager, eventually closed out the match in a tiebreak with a minimum of fuss, having had to fight hard to get past the 53rd-ranked Bronzetti.
The American, who turns 20 on Wednesday, won her 6th straight match against an Italian opponent.
“She played really well,” she said afterwards. “But I was much better than in my last match – I’m improving with each one.”
Faced with 9 break points in her first 3 service games, Gauff saved each and every one of them, and ultimately saw off 10 of 11 break point opportunities forged by Bronzetti.
Under some pressure, Gauff tended to move forward and finished a number of points with thumping overheads.
After saving 5 break points in the 5th game alone, the American broke back, to love, to take a decisive 4-2 lead, and converted her 4th set point when a Bronzetti backhand found the net.
With the Italian serving at 2-3 in the second, Gauff found a pair of break points, and grabbed the first one when Bronzetti struck an errant forehand, but, for the first time in the match, the Italian returned the favour and got the set back on serve.
It was all decided in the breaker, when Gauff produced a successful drop-shot to draw even at 5-all before Bronzetti dumped a backhand into the net and the teenager slammed down one last un-returnable serve.
Elise Mertens stalled Naomi Osaka’s come-back in straight sets to reach the Last 16
© Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
Gauff will now meet the No 24 seed, Elise Mertens from Belgium, for a berth in the quarters, who advanced to the Indian Wells Round of 16 for the first time by defeating former No 1 Naomi Osaka, 7-5 6-4.
Mertens stormed out of the blocks, securing two consecutive breaks to take a 3-0 lead.
Down by a double break early in the first set, Osaka managed to recover and tie the first set at 5 games all, but then she lost her serve again in the 11th game as Mertens took a decisive 6-5 lead before serving out for the opener in the following game.
After losing the first set, Osaka also dropped her serve in the first game of the second, but managed to get the break back in the 6th game.
Again, having got herself back on track, Osaka lost her serve again in the 7th game, and Mertens held onto to her own service games for the remainder of the match but had to save 3 break points in the final game, advancing on her 2nd match point, after drawing another Japanese error.
Osaka, a 4-time winner at the majors, is making her return to tennis this season after giving birth.
Mertens has yet to beat her next opponent, Gauff, having lost all 3 of their previous matches, including a 3-set win by the American on her way to the US Open title.
“Every time I play her is a tough match,” Gauff said of Mertens. “I don’t recall any straightforward wins playing against her. Even though the record is 3-0, it could easily have been the opposite.
“She’s tough. She has good strokes and she can hit the ball clean, she can serve well, she makes you earn the match.”
Maria Sakkari, the No 9 seed, secured her spot in the Last 16 with a convincing victory over Caroline Garcia, the No 20 seed, 6-3 6-4, on Monday night, marking the Greek’s 4th consecutive win against the Frenchwoman, a significant turn-around from their initial encounters.
After a rough period, Sakkari is showcasing her resilience and skill, and she dominating the match after gaining control early on.
Sakkari’s next opponent will be another French player, Diane Parry, who defeated Russian Anna Blinkova, 6-4 6-3.
Meanwhile, 2018 finalist Daria Kasatkina got past Sloane Stephens, the 2017 US Open champion, to return to Last 16, after the 12th-seeded Russian prevailed, 2-6 6-4 6-4, after 2 hours and 13 minutes.
There, Kasatkina will meet Yuan Yue from China, who edged past American Caroline Dolehide, 1-6 6-4 7-6(2), after 2 hours and 26 minutes on court.
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