Gauff, Raducanu Indian Wells Winners While Pliskova, Muguruza, Svitolina Upset

by Staff | March 12th, 2022, 10:55 am
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The women’s seeds took the court Friday at Indian Wells with mixed results.

The teen sensations on Stadium 1 powered through as both Coco Gauff and Emma Raducanu both advanced to the third round.

Gauff ripped through the first set then held off Claire Liu in the second for 6-1, 7-6(4) win. Gauff will now face former No. 1 Simona Halep on Sunday after the Romanian won in three sets over Ekatarina Alexandrova.


Gauff will meet Halep on her 18th birthday.

“Obviously, I hope I win on my birthday,” she said. “That would suck if I lose. But if I do, I know I’m going to have a good day regardless.”

The struggling Raducanu got a good win ousting the former Top 5 Caroline Garcia in three sets 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 in a streaky match.

“It was definitely a tough match to win. Caroline is a really tricky opponent because she is really aggressive and plays very quickly,” said Raducanu. “As soon as I dropped my ball speed and pace, she took advantage of that in the second set. I’m just glad that I managed to adjust for the third.

“I feel like today I worked out pretty well that I was taking pace off the ball, I was playing too much to one side or the middle in the second [set]. I kind of reassessed. In the third set I picked my ball speed back up, I was spreading the play more. I think that’s probably one of my strengths, just working things out as they go along.”

Next for Emma is former French semifinalist Petra Martic.

While the teens advanced, a bunch of veteran seeds did not. Garbine Muguruza rolled to a 6-0, 3-0 lead against Alison Riske before the American ran away with the match winning 12 of the last 13 games for a 0-6, 6-3, 6-1 stunner.

“This was a much more rewarding win in the fashion that I did it, over had it been an easy two-setter,” said Riske after her 10th Top 10 win. “I could have easily checked out and been out of there in 30 minutes, really. So I am very proud of that fact.”

Muguruza, who won the WTA Finals to end 2021, falls to 5-5 on the year.

The highest seed in the top half, Karolina Pliskova, also got bounced. In her 2022 after dealing with a hand injury, the Czech fell to Danka Kovinic in three sets.

Elina Svitolina was upset by qualifier Harriet Dart in three sets and gold medalist Belinda Bencic lost to Kaia Kanepi in straights.

Iga Swiatek avoided the bug rallying from a set down to defeat Anhelina Kalinina 5-7, 6-1, 6-0. Angelique Kerber also won in three sets.

The third-seeded Swiatek is now the line top 10 seed left in the top half.

Today, the last of the second round matches are featured from the bottom half which includes debuts from defending champion Paula Badosa, 2-time winner Victoria Azarenka, Aryna Sabalenka, Petra Kvitova and Leylah Fernandez who meets Amanda Anisimova.

2018 champion Naomi Osaka is also back.


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