Indian Wells (United States) (AFP) – Former champions Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina survived some tense moments to punch their tickets to the third round at Indian Wells on Saturday. World number two Swiatek, who lifted the trophy in the prestigious ATP and WTA Masters 1000 in 2022 and 2024, got off to a hot start and worked through a testing finish to beat US qualifier Kayla Day 6-0, 7-6 (7/2).
Rybakina, the 2023 Indian Wells winner and the reigning Australian Open champion, found the going even tougher in a 7-6 (7/5), 2-6, 6-2 victory over 43rd-ranked American Hailey Baptiste. Rybakina, seeded third behind world number one Aryna Sabalenka and Swiatek, needed all of her patience and resolve in the face of an aggressive attack from Baptiste. After squandering an early break in the opening set, Rybakina fought off three set points to force the tiebreaker in which three forehand winners put her in command before she pocketed the set with another.
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But Rybakina was broken twice in the second set, Baptiste taking advantage to serve it out after Rybakina double-faulted on break point to hand the American a 5-2 lead. A shaky service game from Baptiste gave Rybakina a break for a 3-1 lead in the third, and from there she was able to roll home. “It was a really tough match today, but I’m super-happy with the win,” Rybakina said. “She played really well. She was staying aggressive. She has a good serve. I had my opportunities, didn’t get them from the beginning, and then I was struggling in the second set, was rushing a bit. There are things for sure to improve on.”
Swiatek, meanwhile, sailed through her opening set against left-hander Day only for the 187th-ranked lefty to break the Polish star in the opening game of the second. Swiatek battled back from 0-40 down to avoid falling in an 0-3 hole, but when she fell behind 0-40 in the fifth game, she couldn’t escape, and Day gained another break to lead 5-1. Swiatek responded, winning five straight games as they went to the tiebreaker, in which she powered to a 5-0 lead.
Swiatek, who is hoping a return to a venue she loves will kickstart a season in which she fell in the quarter-finals at the Australian Open and in Doha, next faces Greece’s Maria Sakkari, a 7-5, 6-0 winner over US wild card Lilli Tagger. Russian 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva, seeking to join Martina Navratilova as the only women to go back-to-back in Indian Wells, faced Argentina’s Solana Sierra later Saturday.
Fifth-seeded home favorite Jessica Pegula opened the night session on Stadium Court against Croatian veteran Donna Vekic. Pegula is coming off a victory in Dubai, where she beat Elina Svitolina in the final to claim her fourth WTA 1000 crown. Czech Karolina Muchova, who won in Doha last month for her first WTA title since 2019, opened her campaign with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over Anna Bondar.
© 2024 AFP
