Indian Wells:
Qualifier Cristian Garin was a surprise third-place finisher Casper Ruud 6-4, 7-6 (7/2) to reach the fourth round at Indian Wells on Sunday as Daniil Medvedev and Cameron Norrie survived a scare.
Garin’s attacking play paid off as the 97-ranked Chilean submitted world number four Ruud in less than two hours.
“The way I played today I’m very happy,” said the 26-year-old Garin. “I was strong the whole game.”
His 39 wins was too much for Ruud, a two-time Grand Slam winner last year, who hoped a quick win over Diego Schwartzman in his second round would mark a transition to a season in which he did not go to the second round. in the previous three rounds.
Currently, Medvedevwho has long been frustrated by the slowness of the hard courts in the California desert, was able to push his ATP victory to 16 games with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 victory over 85th-ranked Ilya Ivashka.
Medvedev, coming off three straight championships in Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai, said victory was a matter of “a few points,” but they went about keeping him on track. to improve his best Indian Wells performance – the round of 16 in 2021.
“(It’s) difficult to do anything during matches, so you always have to see who puts more balls on the court. If you lose a little bit of energy you lose a set , “said Medvedev, who was clearly disappointed at the end of the match. second set.
He grumbled to the referee that he was going to be “slow as a court” for taking a bathroom break, but he pulled together to make it 5-0 in the third, serving when after Ivashka saved three points to stop the game. last game.
“I can’t say that I played better in the third, but (I) managed to be the one who didn’t miss after 25 shots,” said Medvedev, who followed by world number two Alexander Zverev.
Zverev, returning from a broken leg that ended his 2022 campaign at the French Open, said the same thing after a 7-5, 1-6, 7 win. -5 in Finland ‘Emil Ruusuvuori.
“Honestly I think he played better than me throughout the match,” Zverev said. “As is the case sometimes, one or two points can decide a game.”
Tenth-seeded Norrie, who reached the final in Buenos Aires and lifted the trophy in Rio de Janeiro last month, went down in one set 4-1 to Japanese qualifier Taro Daniel before rallying for a 6-7 (5/7), 7. -5, 6-2 win.
Another Chilean who met Garin in the fourth round was Alejandro Tabilo, who beat unseeded Jordan Thompson 6-3, 7-6 (8/6), which upset second seed Stefanos. Tsitsipas in the second round.
Tabilo set up a meeting with American Frances Tiafoe, who beat Aussie Jason Kubler 6-3, 6-2.
On the women’s side of the combined WTA and ATP Masters 1000 event, second-time Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus advanced by walking away after the Ukrainian pulled out. Lesia Tsurenko from their scheduled game.
Tsurenko has now lost by retirement or walk in nine of her 18 matches played in Indian Wells last year.
The third seed from the United States, Jessica Pegula, also moved down, defeating Anastasia Potapova 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.
“It was definitely a battle today,” said Pegula, who also won from a set down in her second round match against Camila Giorgi. “He definitely came out and hit his shots and painted the line and got after it.
“So I’m glad I was able to get back into the game and end up playing better than how I started.”
American sixth seed Coco Gauff cruised to an emphatic 6-4, 6-3 win over Linda Noskova.
But last year’s runner-up, Maria Sakkari, needed two and a half hours to record a 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory over Anhelina Kalinina – Sakkari’s second win .
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