Indian Wells (US), March 12 No.2 seed Aryna Sabalenka clinched her spot in the BNP Paribas Open Round of 16 with a hard-fought 6-3, 7-5 win over fellow Grand slam winner Emma Raducanu.
Sabalenka, last year's Indian Wells runner-up, took 95 minutes to move past 2021 US Open champion Raducanu in their first meeting.
Sabalenka broke for 3-2 in the opener in the pair’s first meeting and seemed like she would cruise. But after Raducanu saved two set points at 2-5, Sabalenka was forced to overcome a 0-40 deficit at 5-3.
Raducanu showed grit, however, in overturning a break deficit in the second set. Sabalenka buckled but didn’t break, then once again re-established her lead courtesy of a deft drop shot for 6-5.
In a mammoth last game, Sabalenka saved three break points with a forehand winner, ace and backhand that drew an error and converted on her fourth match point with a forehand winner.
Sabalenka will now face the winner of the match between No.16 seed Elina Svitolina and No.23 seed Emma Navarro.
In other match, the US Open winner Coco Gauff saved break points, took control, then edged a second-set tiebreak to beat Lucia Bronzetti 6-2, 7-6 (5).
Gauff will meet No.24 seed Elise Mertens for a berth in the quarterfinals. That match will be played on Wednesday, Gauff’s 20th birthday.
Mertens, however, advanced to the Indian Wells Round of 16 for the first time by defeating former No.1 Naomi Osaka 7-5, 6-4 in a tussle not as straightforward as the score suggested.
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