Indian Wells: Sabalenka Advances to Quarters Again, Bencic Shocks Gauff
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Synopsis
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and Belinda Bencic triumph at the Indian Wells Open. Sabalenka defeats Sonay Kartal, advancing to her 25th WTA 1000 quarterfinal, while Bencic stuns Coco Gauff to reach her first quarterfinal as a mother. Madison Keys also progresses, setting up a quarterfinal clash with Bencic.
Key Takeaways
- Aryna Sabalenka reaches WTA 1000 quarterfinals.
- Belinda Bencic surprises Coco Gauff in a thrilling match.
- Madison Keys maintains her impressive winning streak.
- Sabalenka aims to surpass her previous WTA 1000 achievements.
- Bencic returns to the competitive scene after motherhood.
Indian Wells, March 13 (NationPress) World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka concluded the journey of lucky loser Sonay Kartal on Thursday at the Indian Wells Open, securing her place in the quarterfinals with a convincing score of 6-1, 6-2.
The top seed smoothly progressed to her 25th career quarterfinal at the WTA 1000 level, marking her first quarterfinal appearance of the season at this prestigious tier. Previously, Sabalenka had reached the quarterfinals at Indian Wells in 2023, where she ultimately made it to the final.
Next up for the Belarusian is No. 24 seed Liudmila Samsonova, who achieved a victory over No. 6 seed Jasmine Paolini with a score of 6-0, 6-4.
This three-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka is aiming to enhance her all-time best result at the WTA 1000 level, having also reached the quarterfinals of the China Open in 2023 while holding the top ranking.
In another exciting match, wild card Belinda Bencic made her debut in the WTA 1000 quarterfinals as a mother with a hard-fought 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over No. 3 seed Coco Gauff in a match lasting 2 hours and 20 minutes. This marks her second journey to the last eight at Indian Wells, following her semifinal appearance in 2019.
The former No. 4, Bencic, welcomed her daughter Bella last April and returned to professional tennis unranked in October. She has impressively climbed to No. 58 this week thanks to her consistent strong performances this year.
Additionally, reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys fought back from a challenging position to maintain her winning streak and secure a spot in the quarterfinals.
No. 5 seed Keys has achieved 15 consecutive match victories, staging a comeback against No. 19 seed Donna Vekic with a score of 4-6, 7-6(7), 6-3 in a thrilling 2-hour and 18-minute match.
Keys is set to face the resurgent Bencic in the quarterfinals.
