Paula Badosa continues with a firm step in the defense of her title in Indian Wells. The reigning champion knocked down her friend, compatriot and doubles partner, Sara Sorribes, with great effortin a Spanish derby, which like the one that Munar and Carreño starred in on Sunday in the ATP table, did not disappoint, especially in a long and magnificent first set that was decided in the tie-break in favor of Badosa, who later dominated easier to win 7-6 (4) and 6-1 in just two hours. He will face this Tuesday in the round of 16 (not before 2:00, Teledeporte) the Canadian Leylah Fernandez or the American Shelby Rogers. “It was a very tough match. I was trying to push with my right hand and she was responding. I tried to fight for every point and that’s how I won,” he explained.
That aforementioned first set could well have been the entire match, because it lasted 81 minutes, a time in which many matches are decided on the women’s circuit. “If every set was yes, I think I would die,” Badosa joked later., who wants to be remembered “as a fighter” when she retires. She started the duel with six breaks in a row. There were long exchanges, good technique and a nice tactical fight with some mistakes, not too many, and quite a few winners (20 from Paula and 13 from Sorribes). They know each other very well and that was noticeable, because they both knew how to hurt each other. After that initial period in which the returns prevailed over the serves, both protected their services better, although Sorribes had a 30-40 that could have been decisive at 5-5. Then Badosa wasted three set points and a tiebreaker was reached, perhaps the fairest. There, the Catalan imposed her power and overwhelmed the Castellón native.
Confident for having saved such a complicated sleeve, she came out to bite in the second. She, with a double break, put land in the middle against a rival somewhat exhausted by the effort, despite the fact that the physique is one of its strengths. Fatigue accused him with his first double fault, in the third game. He had run from side to side to defend himself from the stabs of his colleague, each time more precise and lethal. The New York-born player’s down the line backhand made the difference. Even fortune was on her side when Sara tried to react. In this way, she closed the victory without too much difficulty and less tension.
Kontaveit y Azarenka, eliminadas
On the Badosa side of the draw, two of the favorites fell in the third round: Anett Kontaveit and Victoria Azarenka, finalist last year against the Spanish. The Estonian, second with the most victories (14) so far this year after Iga Swiatek (16), fell at the hands of Marketa Vondrousova 3-6, 7-5 and 7-6 (6), who had won the last year en route to his title in Moscow. The Czech will face the Russian Veronika Kudermetova, who won due to the withdrawal of another Czech, Marina Bouzkovawhen it won 0-2 in the second set after losing the first 6-4. Azarenka, two-time champion of the tournament, faced a powerful rival, the Kazakh Elena Rybakina, and lost to her 6-3 6-4 in somewhat dramatic fashion.since before a service with the score of the second set at 2-2, the Belarusian burst into tears for more than a minute before the perplexity of her rival. The chair umpire tried to comfort her and continued to play when she calmed down. Rybakina will face Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic.
Elise Mertens, the 20th favorite, also fell, in this case 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 against Australian Daria Saville (née Gavrilova). The seventh, the Greek Maria Sakkari, was not confused, and that she had Petra Kvitova in front of her, a former number one in the world whom she beat 6-3 and 6-0.
Indian Wells Masters 1,000 results.