World number one Aryna Sabalenka and Japan’s Naomi Osaka will face off in the fourth round of the Indian Wells Open after fourth seed Coco Gauff retired with a left arm injury on Sunday.
Gatekeepers News reports that Sabalenka advanced to the last 16 with a commanding 6-4, 6-1 victory over Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian, setting up a highly anticipated meeting with former champion Osaka.
Osaka, seeded 16th, defeated Colombia’s Camila Osorio 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 to avenge a painful first-round loss to the same opponent at the tournament last year.
Also progressing was the Philippines’ rising star Alexandra Eala, who was leading Gauff 6-2, 2-0 when the American was forced to retire due to injury.
Gauff described the frightening moment when the pain began during the match.
“It felt like a firework going off inside of my arm, and then my whole arm felt like it was on fire,” Gauff said.
“And then as the match played, it got progressively worse, even on shots that I wasn’t even using my left arm for … it was a scary feeling.”
The American was trailing 5-2 in the opening set when she took a medical timeout, with a trainer massaging and manipulating her left arm and shoulder.
After Eala broke serve to win the first set following a Gauff double fault, the trainer wrapped the American’s left forearm. However, the treatment proved ineffective, and after 54 minutes Gauff approached the net and informed Eala she could not continue.
Eala expressed mixed emotions after the match.
“I really didn’t want to win this way,” she said.
“But this is still a really big moment for me to be able to play on Stadium One of Indian Wells and against such a great competitor.”
She also wished Gauff a quick recovery.
Sabalenka, meanwhile, produced a dominant display against Cristian, firing 23 winners to seal her place in the next round.
“So many things I felt like I did great today,” Sabalenka said. “Serving well, happy with the way I stayed focused no matter what — and of course happy with the win.”
The Belarusian is still chasing her first title at Indian Wells after finishing runner-up twice at the prestigious Masters 1000 event.
Osaka claimed her maiden Indian Wells title in 2018, a breakthrough year that also saw her win the US Open. That run included a victory over Sabalenka — the only previous meeting between the two players, who have since gone on to win four Grand Slam titles each.
“I’ll have a chance to get a revenge, hopefully,” Sabalenka said.
Attitude adjustment
Osaka, competing in her first tournament since withdrawing before her third-round match at the Australian Open due to an abdominal injury, started strongly against Osorio but struggled in the second set.
The Colombian broke Osaka to lead 4-2 and held off a break point in the ninth game to force a decider.
However, Osaka quickly regained control in the third set, breaking early to take a 3-0 lead and closing out the match without facing another break point.
“I can only say that I tried to be more positive,” Osaka said, admitting that frustration had affected her play earlier.
“I feel like the second set I was complaining a lot and then I just kind of thought my daughter could be watching me mope around the court.
“So I needed to pick up my attitude and that’s kind of what I did in the third.”
Elsewhere, sixth seed Amanda Anisimova and seventh seed Jasmine Paolini also advanced to the fourth round.
American Anisimova needed just 52 minutes to rout Britain’s Emma Raducanu 6-1, 6-1, while Italy’s Paolini defeated Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic 7-5, 5-7, 6-1.
