Two-time BNP Paribas Open champion Victoria Azarenka will face Indian Wells debutante Paula Badosa for the trophy on Sunday at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, as both players prevailed in entertaining semi-final clashes against difficult opponents.
Azarenka gave it her all in the night's first women's singles semi-final on Friday evening in the Palm Desert, surviving Jelena Ostapenko's flurry of scintillating winners to advance 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 into her third BNP Paribas Open final.
No.27 seed Azarenka, who won the title in Indian Wells in 2012 and 2016, charged back from a set and a break down to claim a hard-fought 2-hour and 20-minute win over No.24 seed Ostapenko.
In the SF under the lights, Spain's Paula Badosa sealed a spot in the biggest final of her career by defeating Ons Jabeur, 6-3, 6-3 to secure her 40th win of the season. Having already scored wins over Barbora Krejcikova and Angelique Kerber this week, Badosa is looking to beat a third major champion en route to a second WTA title in the Final.
Badosa is the first Spanish woman to make the Indian Wells final since Conchita Martinez finished runner-up in 1996 and 1992, and she has done so in her main draw debut. Seeded No.21, the 23-year-old Spaniard has lost just one set en route to her second final of the season, scoring wins over Dayana Yastremska, Coco Gauff, Barbora Krejcikova, Angelique Kerber, and Jabeur.
( With inputs from ANI )
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