Indian Wells: Aryna Sabalenka Reaches quarter-finals, to Face Coco Gauff

Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka reached the Indian Wells quarter-finals for the primary time on Tuesday, persevering with her sturdy 2023 marketing campaign with a battling 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 victory over Barbora Krejcikova.

Czech Krejcikova was the lady who ended Sabalenka’s excellent 2023 run with a victory over the Belarusian within the quarter-finals at Dubai final month.

She had an opportunity to prolong the match, however Sabalenka saved a break level within the ultimate recreation and closed it out.

“It’s at all times powerful matches towards Barbora,” Sabalenka said. “She played unbelievable tennis. I’m just super happy with this win.”

There’s been no let-down for the 24-year-old since she claimed her first Grand Slam title in Melbourne.

She admitted she was a bit stunned by all of the hoopla that attended the victory — reminiscent of a photograph shoot with the trophy on a gondola in Melbourne — however determined to simply go together with it.

“I felt actually bizarre,” she said. “It was just like so much attention to me (but) I was thinking ‘OK, I won my first Grand Slam, let’s just take it all in.'”

She has now reached two quarter-finals since then, and stated not successful a significant till she was 24 might have helped her hold her toes on the bottom.

“I’m actually glad that I gained my first Grand Slam on this age, as a result of I felt like if I’d be 18 years previous to win the Grand Slam, then I’d be struggling for years,” she said.

“I understand that, yeah, that’s happened, and that was my dream. It was an amazing moment but time to move on. It wasn’t the only one goal.”

World quantity two Sabalenka has made no secret of the truth that she’d like to overtake Iga Swiatek atop the world rankings.

Swiatek, winner of the French and US Opens final yr, is secure on the summit by means of Indian Wells and the Miami Open that follows, however Sabalenka is hoping to hold the strain on by successful.

“I’ve this understanding that it doesn’t matter what, I’ve to hold going, hold preventing,” she said.

She’ll fight for a semi-final berth against sixth-seeded American Coco Gauff, who rallied in the third set for a 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 victory over Swedish qualifier Rebecca Peterson.

“Playing-wise, obviously, there is a lot of things I can improve on for the next match,” stated Gauff, who turned 19 on Monday. “Considering the circumstances I’m pleased to be carried out with at the moment.”

Whatever Gauff’s struggles on Tuesday, Sabalenka said she wouldn’t be taking the teenager lightly.

Gauff has won three of their four encounters, most recently at Toronto last year.

Read all the Latest Sports News here

(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is printed from a syndicated information company feed)