Field Level Media
16 Mar 2023, 10:25 GMT+10
Second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka turned in a dominant display en route to a 6-4, 6-0 victory over sixth-seeded Coco Gauff in the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open on Wednesday in Indian Wells, Calif.
The one-sided match was done in 1 hour, 4 minutes, with Sabalenka improving her 2023 record to 17-1. The 24-year-old Belarusian won the Australian Open after prevailing in a tuneup event at Adelaide, Australia, and she took her only loss of the season in the quarterfinals at Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Sabalenka controlled the match against Gauff, a 19-year-old Atlanta native, thanks to superior serving, winning 87 percent of her first-serve points, and returning, winning half of all points on Gauff's serve.
"I felt really great on court," Sabalenka said. "I think I played great tennis and super happy with this win. It's always tough matches against Coco, and I'm super happy that I was able to finish this one in two sets."
Assessing her play this year, Sabalenka said, "I think I'm more calm on court, and I'm able to control my emotions, which help me to stay in the game no matter what, and just fight for every point, without losing my mind and without giving like easy points to opponents."
Next up for Sabalenka is a semifinal matchup against seventh-seeded Maria Sakkari of Greece. Sakkari rallied for a 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 victory over 15th-seeded Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic on Wednesday.
After dropping the first set, Sakkari fell behind 2-0 in the second set before beginning her comeback.
"Not only I was down a set and a break, but she made me play like an amateur in the first set," Sakkari said. "She was playing so good. I had to try and focus on different things. I had to look at the other side of the net and see what I do better, to put her in an uncomfortable position."
Looking ahead to the match against Sabalenka, Sakkari said, "She is a different player from when I played her the last time. She just won a Grand Slam. She is so confident."
The other two quarterfinals are scheduled for Thursday, with top-seeded Iga Swiatek of Poland opposing Sorana Cirstea of Romania after 10th-seeded Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan faces off with Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic.
--Field Level MediaGet a daily dose of Tennis Times news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Tennis Times.
More Information(Photo credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images) The Detroit Pistons saw their longest winning streak in 17 years end on Friday night. They...
(Photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images) The St. Louis Blues are finally seeing a payoff for their progress made since Jim Montgomery...
(Photo credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images) Donovan Mitchell scored 41 points, including 26 in the second half, as the visiting...
(250301) -- ACAPULCO, March 1, 2025 (Xinhua) -- Nakashima Brandon of the United States hits a return during the singles semifinal match...
(Photo credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images) The Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets meet Saturday bearing the load of disappointing...
New Delhi [India], March 1 (ANI): Elevating the spirit of sports in the national capital, Indian sport shooter Deepak Kumar and TV...
DUBLIN, Ireland: Dublin has unveiled a new 5.5 million euro cycle track along the south quays, enhancing safety and accessibility for...
DUBAI, UAE - Fuelre4m has announced a new partnership with one of the UAE's largest yacht operators aimed at improving fuel efficiency...
CAIRO — Observant Muslims the world over will soon be united in a ritual of daily fasting from dawn to sunset as the Islamic holy...
BEIJING, March 1 (Xinhua) -- A selection of the best press photos from Xinhua. A drone photo taken on Feb. 27, 2025 shows the construction...
BEIJING, March 1 (Xinhua) -- In a significant move to open its telecommunication sector further, China has approved 13 foreign-invested...
(Photo credit: Jeff Romance / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images) Jake Knapp followed his opening-round 59 with a far more modest,...