World number two Aryna Sabalenka suffered a surprising defeat at the hands of American Emma Navarro in the fourth round of the Indian Wells tournament. Sabalenka, who had recently defended her Australian Open title, fell 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 to the 23rd seed Navarro in a hard-fought encounter.
Navarro, buoyed by the support of the California crowd, secured her first WTA 1000 quarter-final appearance with a spirited performance against the Belarusian powerhouse.
Meanwhile, American sensation Coco Gauff celebrated her 20th birthday with an impressive 6-0, 6-2 victory over Belgium’s Elise Mertens. Gauff, the 2023 US Open champion, dominated proceedings from the outset, clinching a first-set bagel in just 25 minutes.
Reflecting on her stellar performance, Gauff expressed her delight, labeling it as her best match of the tournament thus far.
Both Gauff and Navarro are aiming to become the first American women to triumph at Indian Wells since Serena Williams in 2001. Gauff is set to face either Daria Kasatkina or Yuan Yue in the semi-finals, while Navarro awaits the winner between Maria Sakkari and Diane Parry.
Navarro’s triumph over Sabalenka marks another milestone in her promising career, following her maiden WTA Tour title victory at the Hobart International earlier this year. Despite facing a formidable opponent, Navarro showcased her resilience and composure to secure the biggest win of her career.
In the men’s draw, Norway’s Casper Ruud rallied to avoid an upset, overcoming French veteran Gael Monfils in a hard-fought battle lasting two hours and 27 minutes. Ruud will square off against American Tommy Paul in the next round, who dispatched Italy’s Luca Nardi in straight sets.