Swiatek v Noskova, Alcaraz v FAA At Indian Wells Masters; Djokovic Wins In Return

The third round opens play at the Indian Wells Masters tennis on Sunday with three former champions on Stadium 1.

World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, a champion in 2022, will look for revenge against the rising Czech Linda Noskova who beat her at the Australian Open in January.

After a tough 3-setter in his second round, Carlos Alcaraz resumes his title defense against Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime. Alcaraz won the title last year without dropping a set, but this year already lost one on Friday.

“I’m coming here with not too much matches,” Alcaraz said Friday. “I think last year, well, I came here with more matches in my bag with more rhythm. Now I’m recovering from injury on the ankle. I was thinking about it all the time, and I couldn’t practice as much as I wanted, the high intensity.

“But right now I’m getting better and feeling really, really well, but I think I have to get the good rhythm step by step. I think that’s the big different between last year and this one.”

Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner takes on Jan-Lennard Struff and in the evening on Stadium 1, it’s former winner Caroline Wozniacki and then the high intensity American Ben Shelton.

“As I saw the draw. I thought, ‘Okay, I really want to have this match’,” Struff said to the ATP. “You want to play against these guys for sure. It’s going to be a very tough match, but I’m looking forward to playing.”

Frances Tiafoe takes on Stefanos Tsitsipas on Stadium 2.

Yesterday, as the second round concluded 5-time champion Novak Djokovic had to battle past World No. 69 Alexander Vukic 6-2, 5-7, 6-3.

“At one point I was a bit worried because I lost a set, and then in beginning of third it was kind of going toe to toe. But I thought the chances will come as I, you know, stay in the match and try to raise the level of tennis,” Djokovic said.

“I have to, you know, give him credit because he stepped it up. He served well, ripping forehands towards the end of the second, beginning of the third, and was just deservedly still in the match.”

The top-seeded Djokovic, playing his first event since Melbourne and first Indian Wells in five years, claimed his 400th career Masters level win.

“Five years is quite a long time for a professional tennis player but at the same time playing here the last time in 2019 felt like yesterday,” Djokovic said of his return.

“I connected with the crowd and everyone I haven’t seen in five years very quickly. A lot of people come to practice sessions, not just mine. It’s amazing to see that much passion and respect and appreciation for tennis and tennis players. It’s awesome to be in Tennis Paradise.”

In a first-time meeting on Monday, Djokovic will test Italian lucky loser Luca Nardi.

In the women’s draw, Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka saved four match points to deny the feisty former NCAA champion Peyton Stearns 6-7(2), 6-2, 7-6(6) in just under three hours.

Stearns served for the biggest win of her career at 5-3, 40-0 in the third, but the Belarussian rose up to the challenge. The American was able to break at 5-all and served for it again at 6-5 but could finish it out.

“I’m super happy that I didn’t give up on that score, and I was really pushing myself hard, even though I didn’t play my best tennis and she was crushing it like crazy,” Sabalenka said after. “I was just like trying to stay in the game and keep fighting for every point.

“But this match will definitely go into the book of craziest matches and the best matches of my career.”

Earlier, Coco Gauff came from 5-2 down in the third to beat Clara Burel 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(4). Gauff, the US Open champion, has won her last 17 matches in the U.S.

2018 winner Naomi Osaka also won as her comeback continued.

INDIAN WELLS SUNDAY ORDER OF PLAY
STADIUM 1 start 11 a.m. PT
[1] I. Swiatek (POL) vs [26] L. Noskova (CZE)

Not Before 1 p.m.
[31] F. Auger-Aliassime (CAN) vs [2] C. Alcaraz (ESP)
[25] J. Struff (GER) vs [3] J. Sinner (ITA)

Not Before 6 p.m.
[WC] C. Wozniacki (DEN) vs [WC] K. Volynets (USA)

Not Before 8 p.m.
[16] B. Shelton (USA) vs [22] F. Cerundolo (ARG)

STADIUM 2 start 11 a.m.
[18] F. Tiafoe (USA) vs [11] S. Tsitsipas (GRE)

Not Before 1 p.m.
[21] A. Kalinskaya vs [13] J. Paolini (ITA)
A. Kerber (GER) vs [17] V. Kudermetova

Not Before 6 p.m.
[6] A. Zverev (GER) vs [27] T. Griekspoor (NED)

Not Before 8 p.m.
[12] B. Haddad Maia (BRA) vs [22] A. Pavlyuchenkova