Sabalenka sent packing as Gauff ‘finally’ wins on her birthday

AMERICAN Emma Navarro shocked Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka to reach the Indian Wells ATP-WTA Masters quarter-finals on Wednesday night as Coco Gauff sailed through.

Navarro, ranked 23rd in the world, pushed Sabalenka hard to notch her first career win over a top-five player 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.

US Open champion Gauff, seeded third, celebrated her 20th birthday with a dominant 6-0, 6-2 victory over Belgian Elise Mertens.

It wasn’t quite so easy for last year’s men’s runner-up Daniil Medvedev, but the fourthseeded Russian managed the windy conditions to post a 6-4, 6-4 triumph over Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov.

Medvedev next faces seventh-seeded Holger Rune, who saved a match point and then roared through the second-set tiebreaker on the way to a 2-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 victory over 2022 champion Taylor Fritz.

“It was a crazy match,” Rune said. “I managed to raise my level in the end of the second set. I just kept believing.”

Medvedev said consistency was the key to his victory in windy conditions.

“I think in general, I played well. I was really consistent,” said Medvedev, who had just 13 unforced errors as he moved a step closer to a first title at Indian Wells – the only hardcourt ATP Masters tournament he has never won.

In other men’s matches, American Tommy Paul ended Italian Luca Nardi’s dream week with a 6-4, 6-3 victory. Nardi was coming off a stunning upset of World No 1 Novak Djokovic in the third round.

Paul will play for a place in the semi-finals against ninth-seeded Casper Ruud, who rallied to beat French veteran Gael Monfils 3-6 7-6 (7/3) 6-4.

Navarro’s victory over World No 2 Sabalenka continues a strong season for the 22-year-old, who won the WTA title in Hobart and reached the semi-finals in Auckland and San Diego.

“It’s definitely cool to be able to play an opponent like that, and feel like I can hang (in) and I can win,” she said. “I’ve worked really hard over the years to just get to this point and play at a level that can compete with the best players in the world. I think that showed today.” |