Serena Advances To Indian Wells QFs To Meet Halep Wednesday; Radwanksa v Kvitova
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The top half of the quarterfinals are set for Wednesday. In a rematch of what was to be the semifinals a year ago, Serena Williams will clash with Simona Halep.
Serena dusted qualifier Kateryna Bondarenko 6-2, 6-2 while Halep earned a retirement Barbora Strycova who retired down 6-3, 1-0 due to an upper respiratory illness.
“I feel sorry for her, being sick,” she said during her on-court interview. “I know how it is, and it’s tough to continue to play the match. It was a good start for me; I played a good first set, but the conditions are really difficult because I played two matches in the cold weather, and now it’s hot. I tried everything to keep things going in the right away, so I’m happy to be into the quarterfinals.
“I adjusted my game very well, just wanted to make fewer mistakes and keep the ball into the court. I moved better than I did in the beginning of the match, and I’m looking forward to the next one, where I hope to play better.”
Serena leads Halep 6-1 losing only at the WTA Finals round robin in 2014. Their last meeting was at Cincinnati last summer won by Serena 6-3, 7-6.
“I know that it’s gonna be tough to win, but still, I have my chance,” said Halep. “I believe that I have my chance, and I just have to go to play my best, to try everything to win.
“I think I have to do my game like I did every day since I came to the U.S.: aggressive, not very strong. I don’t hit very strong. I just take the ball fast. I move well. I hit with confidence. Also, the serve is going well.”
Serena is looking forward to the challenge.
“I really like her game,” said Williams. “I like how she’s aggressive. She’s a fighter. I definitely have to be ready.
“It’ll be a really good match I think for both of us to kind of see where we want to be at at this point in the year.”
Earlier in the day, Petra Kvitova fought off pesky qualifier Nicole Gibbs 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Radwanska eased past former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic 6-3, 6-3. But against Kvitova, Radwanska is just 3-6 though she won most recently last fall at the Singapore finals title match.
“I just remember it was very, very tough match. Long, tight, everything was tighter, every game, point by point,” Radwanska said. “[Here it’s] a little bit different surface, different conditions, definitely… But I think always against her you really have to play good tennis and be careful, particularly on her serve.
“I just hope I can really play my good tennis,” she said. “Because otherwise I will be in big trouble.”
In the evening, Karolina Pliskova knocked out Johanna Konta 7-6, 3-6, 6-3. The Czech will meet surprising 18-year-old Daria Kasatkina who stopped Timea Bascinszky in straights 6-4, 6-2.
Victoria Azarenka also won in 3 over Sam Stosur 6-1, 4-6, 6-1. On Thursday, she’ll meet Magdelena Rybarikova who received a retirement from Roberta Vinci while up 6-2, 2-0 on the Italian who injured her left ankle.
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