The second-ranked player in the world, Carlos Alcaraz, swiftly advanced to the quarter-finals of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells by defeating Fabian Marozsan in straight sets. The Spanish player, aiming to be the first to successfully defend the title since Novak Djokovic in 2016, secured a 6-3, 6-3 victory in just 1.25 hours.
24-year-old Hungarian player, Marozsan, entered the game with a unique winning record against Alcaraz. They previously faced each other in Rome on clay last year, where Marozsan’s victory was considered one of the most surprising outcomes of the season.
The winner of Wimbledon wasted no time in seeking retribution, claiming victory in a consecutive string of four games after being down 3-2 to secure the first set. One decisive break in the second set, leading to a score of 4-2, secured the win and secured a spot in the quarterfinals against Alexander Zverev.
Alcaraz admitted to feeling apprehensive before the match, facing someone who had previously defeated him. He found it challenging to mentally prepare for the game. However, he is content with his victory and credits his improved performance to the lessons he learned from his previous match in Rome. Zverev, on the other hand, overcame a first set loss to defeat Australian player Alex de Minaur with a final score of 5-7, 6-2, 6-3.
Jannik Sinner, the winner of the Australian Open, extended his impressive performance in the beginning of the year with his 18th consecutive win in a match against American Ben Shelton, winning 7-6 (4), 6-1. There was a surprise upset in the match between Greece’s 11th seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas and Czech youngster Jiri Lehecka, with Tsitsipas losing 6-2, 6-4.
World No 1 Iga Swiatek will face former world No 1 Caroline Wozniacki in the quarter-finals of the women’s singles draw. Swiatek defeated Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2, in just over an hour. Wozniacki, representing Denmark, defeated Angelique Kerber in 90 minutes, with a score of 6-4, 6-2. This marks Wozniacki’s first WTA 100 quarter-final since 2019, after her return to the tour.
Following her match, Wozniacki expressed that in order to hold her own against Swiatek, she will need to bring her A-game. “I’ve watched some of her previous matches,” she stated. “I am familiar with her style of play. She’s performing exceptionally well and with a lot of power. I’ve also had the opportunity to practice with her a few times, both during my return to tennis and at the US Open. While I may understand her game, it’s a different experience facing her in a full match.”
Bypass the advertising for the newsletter.
after newsletter promotion
Swiatek expressed admiration for Wozniacki, acknowledging her strong performance even after taking a break for maternity. She commended Wozniacki’s determination to return to the sport and holds her in high regard. Swiatek plans to approach their match like any other, but also recognizes Wozniacki as a wonderful individual outside of the game.
Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk defeated Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 6-1, while Russian Anastasia Potapova defeated Italian Jasmine Paolini 7-5, 0-6, 6-3.
Source: theguardian.com
