Indian Wells: ‘She played unbelievable tennis’ – Aryna Sabalenka hails Emma Raducanu after edging tough battle

Emma Raducanu battled bravely, but she could not do enough to prevent a 6-3 7-5 defeat to Aryna Sabalenka at Indian Wells.

It earned Raducanu a first-ever showdown with Sabalenka, the world No. 2, in the round of 32 in the Coachella Valley.

And Sabalenka, the runner-up at this event last year, had to fight tooth and nail to battle past the Brit, who is still yet to beat a top-10 ranked player in her career.

In the run-up the ‘Sunshine Swing’, Sabalenka had crashed out in the opening round of the Dubai Open, before having to save four match points in her previous round of this event against Peyton Stearns, but she dug deep to see off a spirited Raducanu in straight sets.

Speaking on court afterwards, Sabalenka said: “It was a tough match. She [Raducanu] played unbelievable tennis.

“I’m super happy with the level today and super happy to get through this round. You guys [the crowd] brought the best atmosphere. Thank you so much for the support. I enjoyed playing in front of you.”

Sabalenka broke into a 5-2 lead in the opening set, but Raducanu rallied, despite facing set points on her serve in the following game.

The Brit, now ranked at world No. 250, won eight of the next nine points to re-establish her chances at the end of the first set, and she forced break point opportunities as Sabalenka sought to serve it out, but the reigning Australian Open champion showed her resilience to get the job done in 38 minutes.

Raducanu kept fighting, but mistakes were creeping into her game as Sabalenka’s power began to pay dividends as the pair traded breaks in the middle of the second set, but it was the 14-time titleist who took her fourth match point to see herself into the last 16.

Elsewhere, home favourite Coco Gauff found a way past Lucia Bronzetti to earn her place in the fourth round with a 6-2 7-6(5) victory.

The No. 3 seed’s serve was again under fire in the early exchanges as she staved off nine break points in her first three service games, but she came through and will face the winner of former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka and Elise Mertens, the 24th seed, in the last 16.