American players lit up the courts at Indian Wells on Monday, with Coco Gauff, Madison Keys, Taylor Fritz, and Ben Shelton pushing through tough conditions to reach the fourth round.
Gauff Battles Past Sakkari
Third seed Coco Gauff overcame some late-match nerves to defeat Maria Sakkari 7-6(1), 6-2. Despite six double faults in her final service game, she clinched the win with a forehand winner on her sixth match point.
“Except for the last game, I thought I played a great match. Just trying to look at the positives,” Gauff said. She had extra motivation after losing to Sakkari in last year’s semi-final.
Up next, Gauff will take on Swiss star Belinda Bencic.
Keys Extends Win Streak
Fresh off her Australian Open triumph, Madison Keys survived a tough test against Elise Mertens, winning 6-2, 6-7(8), 6-4. She saved 12 of 15 break points to notch her 14th consecutive victory.
The fifth seed, who had lost both prior meetings with Mertens, powered through with five aces and will now face either fellow American Emma Navarro or Croatia’s Donna Vekic in the next round.
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Fritz Fights Back, Shelton Powers Through
Taylor Fritz, the 2022 Indian Wells champion, shook off a slow start to beat Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo 4-6, 6-3, 6-1. He now braces for a tricky matchup against Briton Jack Draper, who knocked out American Jenson Brooksby in straight sets.
“It’s going to be a tough match,” Fritz admitted. “I think it’s a tough draw to get him in the round of 16 as a top-4 seed. He’s a very good player, and we’ve had some tight ones.”
Ben Shelton fired up the home crowd with a powerful 6-3, 7-5 win over Karen Khachanov, despite battling blisters on his hand. Down a break in the second set, the 22-year-old stormed back to win the last four games, sealing the match with his eighth ace. He now faces fellow American Brandon Nakashima in the round of 16.
Sabalenka Dominates, Evening Showdowns Await
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka breezed past Lucia Bronzetti 6-1, 6-2, showing her best form after early exits in Qatar and Dubai. Despite the blustery conditions, she wasted little time dispatching her opponent and will next face British lucky loser Sonay Kartal.
“It wasn’t as easy as the score looks. It was tough conditions out there, and I’m happy with the way I managed it,” Sabalenka said.
Monday’s evening schedule featured an exciting clash between Canada’s Denis Shapovalov and four-time major winner Carlos Alcaraz, while Italian sixth seed Jasmine Paolini took on Romanian Jaqueline Cristian.
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