Indian Wells (United States) (AFP) – World number one Aryna Sabalenka powered into the Indian Wells quarter-finals on Tuesday with a statement 6-2, 6-4 victory over former champion Naomi Osaka in a battle of Grand Slam winners. It was another straightforward, straight-sets victory for Sabalenka, who fired 31 winners with eight aces.
“Overall I’m happy that I put so much pressure on her, that I brought variety today on the court,” said Sabalenka, who mixed her booming groundstrokes with effective forays to the net. “I think she was a little confused in the key moments, and I’m happy to see that,” Sabalenka said. “I’m happy that my serve worked well, on the return I played really great tennis.”
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Sabalenka wrapped up the first set with two breaks of serve before Osaka began to find her rhythm. But the Japanese star was unable to crack the serve of Sabalenka, who saved both break points she faced in the second set and grabbed a break for 4-3 with a pair of forehand winners. It was just the second meeting between the two, both four-time Grand Slam champions. Osaka won the first back in 2018 on the way to her first major title at the US Open.
“That’s actually crazy,” Sabalenka said of the fact they haven’t met more often. But she predicted there were more clashes in their future as Osaka, now ranked 16th, regains her momentum on the WTA Tour after taking off all of 2023 and having daughter, Shai, in July of that year.
Sabalenka, runner-up at Indian Wells in 2023 and 2025, will continue her pursuit of a first title in the prestigious ATP and WTA Masters 1000 event against 10th-seeded Victoria Mboko. The 19-year-old Canadian saw off sixth-seeded American Amanda Anisimova 6-4, 6-1 to earn a shot at Sabalenka, who beat her in the fourth round of the Australian Open.
“It was a big eye-opener playing her in the Australian Open,” Mboko said. “Hopefully I can hold my ground a bit more against her.”
– ‘Completely speechless’ –
Australian qualifier Talia Gibson’s dream run in the California desert continued as she belted 42 winners in a 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 victory over seventh-ranked Italian Jasmine Paolini. The 21-year-old’s first victory over a top-10 player propelled her into her first WTA quarter-final. She’ll face 14th-ranked Czech Linda Noskova, who swept past Alexandra Eala of the Philippines 6-2, 6-0 in just 55 minutes.
Gibson, ranked 112th, used a late break to pocket the first set, closing it out with her 18th winner of the opening frame. Paolini sped to a 3-0 lead in the second as Gibson’s errors mounted, and it looked as if the experienced Italian, a two-time Grand Slam finalist, had seized control. But Gibson unleashed another barrage of winners in the third, including a stinging forehand service return on match point.
“Honestly, just completely speechless,” said Gibson, who beat top-20 players Ekaterina Alexandrova and Clara Tauson on the way to the fourth round. Gibson came into 2026 with just two WTA main-draw wins and had to save two match points in a qualifying victory just to give herself a chance to bag a few more at Indian Wells.
“I know that with my aggressive game, often I am able to create a lot of opportunities for myself in points,” she said. “But that being said, I think I have surprised myself a little bit with how well I have been able to play for quite a few matches in a row.”
© 2024 AFP
