Wozniacki, Ivanovic and Azarenka All Sent Packing at BNP Paribas Open

March 17, 2015 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Ana_Ivanovic_6
Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Two of the top 10 players in the world on the women’s side saw their runs at the BNP Paribas Open come to an end on Monday, as fifth-ranked Caroline Wozniacki and sixth-ranked Ana Ivanovic were eliminated in Indian Wells, Calif.

Wozniacki took on 18-year-old Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, one of the WTA’s Rising Stars, and was beaten in straight sets by the teenager. Bencic, who entered the tournament with just one win in four tournaments this year, secured break points late in each set to move past the Dane 6-4, 6-4. The last time the two played, in Istanbul last July, Wozniacki blitzed her 6-0, 6-0.

“The difference was that I won a game!” Bencic said when asked the contrast in the two matches. “No, I was really happy after the first game I won, obviously, but I think I played more solid today. In Istanbul, I had maybe too much respect and I was afraid, nervous. Today I had a really good game plan. I did what I had to do out there. I served well and had some easy points on my serve because of that. It was a solid match.”

Wozniacki double-faulted eight times against the 31st-seeded Bencic, opening the door for some break points. On serve, Bencic didn’t give Wozniacki, who is one of the best along the baseline, many chances to break which allowed her take the straight set victory in one hour and 40 minutes.

“She was steady, she took the ball early and she served well, but I just didn’t put three balls in play today,” said Wozniacki. “But hats off to her—she took advantage of that and she played well during the important points in the match today.”

Bencic, ranked 37th in the world, will take on another former world number one in Jelena Jankovic, who came back to beat upstart American Madison Keys 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.

“It’s very big, especially Madison is such a tough player, is in form, and has done very well in Australia,” said Jankovic, who took advantage of 64 unforced errors by Keys. “She is an up-and-coming player that is so tough to play against. Very, very happy and pleased that I was able to stay strong and fight.”

Caroline Garcia, another WTA Rising Star, continued her excellent 2015 campaign, taking down fifth-seeded Ana Ivanovic 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 to advance into the fourth-round.

It is the second straight tournament that Garcia has ousted the Serb. At 1-2 down in the final set, Garcia saved five break points and eventually secured the hold, and then reeled off the final four games to move past Ivanovic.

Garcia, who reached the finals in Acapulco and Monterrey before heading to Indian Wells, will meet 24th seeded Sabine Lisicki in the fourth-round. The big-serving German took out 11th seeded Sara Errani 6-3, 6-2.

Canadian Eugenie Bouchard rolled past 30th seeded American Coco Vandeweghe 6-3, 6-2 to advance. Bouchard saved the only break point she faced to get off the court in a little over an hour.

“I felt very solid today. That’s important against players with big weapons—I told myself to be ready for anything,” said the sixth-seeded Bouchard. “She had some great serves and some great forehands, and I was just ready for that. I was really going to try and neutralize that and take my chances when I had them. I’m happy I was able to step in and attack whenever she let up and attack whenever she let up a bit out there.”

Bouchard’s next opponent will be Ukrainian qualifier Lesya Tsurenko, who edged 20th seeded Alize Cornet of France 7-5, 1-6, 6-2 to advance.

In the late matches of the night, second-seeded Maria Sharapova cruised past 32nd seeded Victoria Azarenka in a star-studded third-round contest. The Russian was broken in the first set but quickly got the break back and took control from there.

Azarenka would fight off a few match points in the second set, but Sharapova eventually sealed her spot in the fourth-round and a matchup with defending champion Flavia Pennetta.

The 15th seeded Italian moved past Australian Samantha Stosur 6-4, 6-2 to win her eighth-straight match at this tournament, dating back to her title last season.

The action from Indian Wells continues today, headlined by a fourth-round clash between world number one Serena Williams and her compatriot Sloane Stephens. 


Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Bethpage
Century

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