By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday March 10, 2023
The two top-ranked American women progressed on Friday at Indian Wells.
Photo Source: Mark Peterson/ Corleve
Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff powered into the third round at the BNP Paribas Open on Friday, as each hopes to make a push for a career-best performance in the California desert.
That will be easier to achieve for Gauff, who has reached the third round in each of her three appearances at Indian Wells, but never further. She was clinical on Friday night in Stadium two, easing past Spain’s Cristina Bucsa, 6-2, 6-4, to set a third-round clash with a fellow 18-year-old, Czech Linda Noskova.
“It was a good match for me, especially with the conditions a lot slower at nighttime,” Gauff said. “She's not an easy player. She can play tricky. I watched a lot of her film the night before, and, yeah, she's a great player and she comes out with some unexpected shots.”
Gauff improves to 12-3 on the season with her win. The American has now won 27 consecutive matches against players ranked outside of the Top 50, dating back to her loss against Wang Qiang, then ranked 110, at the 2022 Australian Open.
Later in the evening, Jessica Pegula rallied to defeat Italy’s Camila Giorgi, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, to set a third-round clash with Russia’s Anastasia Potapova.
Pegula has now won four straight against Giorgi, with the last three all coming in three sets.
She improves to 7-2 against the 46th-ranked Italian, and 5-4 lifetime at Indian Wells.
The 2021 quarterfinalist is 14-4 overall in 2023.
It was a good day for Top 10 seeds on the women’s sides at Indian Wells, as No.2-seeded Aryna Sabalenka (d. Rodina 6-2, 6-0), No.7-seeded Maria Sakkari (d. Rogers 2-6, 6-4, 6-0), third-seeded Pegula and sixth-seeded Gauff all powered through. Sixteenth-seeded Barbora Krejcikova, the Dubai champion, also moved into the round of 16 with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Dayana Yastremska.
No.9-seeded Belinda Bencic wasn’t so lucky. She fell to compatriot Jil Teichmann in three sets. 18th-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova lost to China’s Wang Xinyu, and 31st-seeded Amanda Anisimova was felled by Noskova.
Second round action continues on Saturday at Indian Wells, with top-seeded Iga Swiatek opening her accounts. The defending champion faces American Claire Liu.
Caroline Garcia, Ons Jabeur, Bianca Andreescu and Elena Rybakina are also in action.