Coco Gauff overcame late nerves to beat Maria Sakkari 7-6 (1), 6-2 and attain the spherical of 16 at Indian Wells on Monday, as her fellow American Madison Keys held off Elise Mertens 6-2, 6-7 (8), 6-4.
Gauff, the No. 3 seed, was in superb kind till the ultimate sport, when she produced six double-faults earlier than closing it out on her sixth match level with a forehand winner.
“Besides the final sport, I believed I performed an ideal match. Simply attempting to have a look at the positives,” stated Gauff, who had redemption on her thoughts after dropping to Sakkari within the semifinals of final yr’s BNP Paribas Open. “Clearly I used to be a bit upset with the final sport however that is simply the perfectionist in me.”
She is going to subsequent play Belinda Bencic, whom she has defeated twice earlier than, most lately within the spherical of 16 in Melbourne this yr.
“It was a bit tough circumstances. I believe we had been each struggling a little bit bit with discovering the rhythm, and I used to be simply attempting to remain stable on my finish of the court docket,” Gauff stated.
After buying and selling breaks once more early within the second set, Gauff broke Sakkari to like within the fifth sport and appeared able to run away with the momentum.
However the serving struggles she has fought mightily to beat undermined her greatest efforts towards the tip, and she or he was pressured to avoid wasting 4 break factors within the ultimate sport to maintain it to 2 units.
“At all times an honor and privilege to play in entrance of this crowd,” stated Gauff, giving credit score to the partisan U.S. followers who powered her throughout the end line within the California desert.
Newly minted Australian Open champion Keys saved 12 of the 15 break factors she confronted to safe her 14th straight match victory, regardless of letting 4 match factors slip away within the second set.
The fifth-seeded Keys, who misplaced to Mertens of their two earlier conferences, fired 5 aces to arrange a fourth-round assembly with Donna Vekic, who defeated American Emma Navarro 7-6 (5), 6-1.
“Total in Australia I performed some actually good tennis, and I believe the additional away from it you get, the extra you form of overlook in regards to the lulls of matches and the moments the place you were not taking part in nice,” Keys stated. “As nice as Australia was and all of the wins that I bought, there have been nonetheless some moments in matches the place I did not play nice or issues bought away from me. So simply being actually aware of that.”
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka used her highly effective serve to defeat Lucia Bronzetti 6-1, 6-2, bringing her greatest kind to Indian Wells after struggling early exits on the Qatar Open and in Dubai.
It took little time for Sabalenka to regulate to the windy circumstances, as she sprinted via the primary set and rapidly recovered after dropping her serve early within the second. She is going to subsequent play British fortunate loser Sonay Kartal.
“It wasn’t as straightforward because the rating seems like. It was robust circumstances on the market, and pleased with the way in which I managed that,” Sabalenka stated.
Jasmine Paolini, the No. 6 seed, defeated Jaqueline Cristian 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 within the night session.
Reuters contributed to this report.