World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka was beaten in the round of 16 of the WTA 1000 tournament in Indian Wells on Wednesday by American Emma Navarro (world 23), victorious over the Belarusian 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.
The American world No. 3 Coco Gauff easily dismissed the Belgian Elise Mertens (6-0, 6-2).
Finalist of the tournament last year, Sabalenka, double winner of the Australian Open (2023 and 2024), had already had to save four match points in the previous round against the American Peyton Stearns. She will remain world No. 2 next week.
The 25-year-old Belarusian failed to impose her game against Navarro, who reached the quarter-finals of a tournament of this level for the first time at the age of 22.
Winner of the WTA 250 in Hobart (Australia) in January, Navarro is the player on the circuit who has won the most matches this season (18), having already competed in seven tournaments.
“I felt very good, this kind of match is never easy. I played good tennis during the important moments. I managed to stay aggressive even on his serves which were very good, it allowed me to maintain the pressure,” Navarro appreciated from the court.
“I didn’t play my best tennis, although she was excellent,” Sabalenka admitted. This year I didn’t feel very good on the Indian Wells courts, I tried to adjust… We will work on movement and I hope to be better in Miami. »
She will face on Thursday either the French Diane Parry (61st in the world) or the Greek Maria Sakkari (9th).
Medvedev et Ruud en quarts
Among the men, Daniil Medvedev dominated Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-4 to reach the quarters.
Medvedev, who is aiming for a first title this season, was dominant on serve. He conceded only five points on his first ball (26 in 31). He also committed only 13 unforced errors.
He obtained his first break in the fifth game of the opening set after a double fault from the opponent. He could have finished the job even sooner if he hadn’t escaped a 0-40 lead in a return of serve when he was leading 5-3, but other than that, he connected with the winning shots at the end of 75 minutes of action.
The Norwegian Casper Ruud (world No. 9) ended up defeating the French veteran Gaël Monfils (37 years old, 54th in the world) in three sets 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4) in the round of 16.
Relying on a formidable service (6 aces, 72% first serves), Monfils dominated the first set, breaking Ruud on his first opportunity, at 3-2.
Under a blazing sun in the Californian desert, he saved three break points in the second set at 4-3 for his opponent, pushed to the decisive game where Ruud quickly made the gap.
With less and less dangerous strikes, Monfils was controlled in the last set by the Norwegian, for whom a quick break was enough in this final set.
Ruud will face Thursday in the quarterfinals at Indian Wells the American Tommy Paul (17th in the world) who got the better of the Italian Luca Nardi (123rd), surprise scorer of world No. 1 Novak Djokovic on Monday, by a score of 6-4 and 6-3.
Late in the evening, Holger Rune came back to defeat the American Taylor Fritz 2-6, 7-6 and 6-3 in 2 hours 18 minutes of play. He will cross paths with Medvedev for his next match.
2024-03-14 03:30:01
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