Swiatek battles past Andreescu to set up Raducanu clash

AFP

Iga Swiatek overcame former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu 6-3 7-6(1) to reach the fourth round at Indian Wells on Monday and set up a meeting with Emma Raducanu.

Top seed Swiatek has been in superb form on hardcourts since the Australian Open, capturing the Doha title and reaching the final in Dubai, and the Polish player looked set for another comfortable win after cruising through the opening set.

The reigning US Open champion found herself in trouble at 2-4 in the next set but battled back to close out the match in the tiebreak.

"She (Andreescu) changed the rhythm pretty well and with this surface it can get tough," Swiatek said. "But I'm pretty happy I was solid most of the times, at least.

"And that I could be recomposed in the tiebreak because I really knew that I could get my focus up. I'm even glad that I got a chance to kind of play under pressure some more and see how I'm going to cope with it."

Australian Open winner Aryna Sabalenka will take on Dubai champion Barbora Krejcikova on Tuesday after advancing to the fourth round when her Ukrainian opponent Lesia Tsurenko withdrew due to a panic attack.

Tsurenko said her panic attack was triggered following a conversation with WTA chief executive Steve Simon about tennis's response to Russia's invasion of her country.

MURRAY OUT

On the men's side of the draw, defending champion and fourth seed Taylor Fritz steamrolled into the fourth round with a 6-1 6-2 demolition of Sebastian Baez.

Fritz kept the 35th ranked Argentine under constant pressure throughout breaking him six times to set up a round of 16 meeting with Hungary's Marton Fucsovics.

Evergreen 37-year-old Swiss Stan Wawrinka advanced with an 6-2 6-7(5) 7-5 upset of seventh seeded young gun 19-year-old Holger Rune of Denmark.

While Fernandez headed to the exit there was one Canadian winner on Monday with eighth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime taming Argentine Francisco Cerundolo 7-5 6-4.

It was the end of the road for Andy Murray, who lost 7-6(6) 6-2 to fellow Briton Jack Draper.

Top seed Carlos Alcaraz faces Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor in a late match seeking his 100th Tour-level victory.

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