INDIAN WELLS, California – World No.100 Aliaksandra Sasnovich ended Emma Raducanu’s 10-match winning streak on Friday night, defeating the reigning US Open champion 6-2, 6-4 in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open. Sasnovich will face 2015 champion Simona Halep for a spot in the Round of 16 on Sunday.
Coming into the second-round duel, Raducanu was riding a 10 match winning streak from her historic title run at the US Open, where she reeled off 20 consecutive sets through qualifying and the main draw to become the first British woman to win a major since Virginia Wade in 1977. In contrast, Sasnovich, who reached a career-high No.30 in 2018, had just one Top 50 victory in a completed match this season.
Yet despite her sub-par 2021 season, the Belarusian has a proven track record of being a seed-slaying danger in the early rounds of big events. The 27-year-old had already notched 15 Top 20 wins in her career, including victories over Petra Kvitova at 2018 Wimbledon, Elina Svitolina at 2018 Brisbane, and Karolina Pliskova at 2016 Tokyo.
“I saw a few matches of her when she played US Open and Wimbledon as well,” Sasnovich said. “She’s really a talented girl. She has a strong forehand, backhand. She tries to be always aggressive.”
“It was a really good match for me. I play really well. I know she just won US Open. I lost there in the first round. So a little bit different. But I tried to go on court, I tried to enjoy. I did everything right and I’m happy with the result, of course.”
Raducanu started the match right where she left off in New York, coolly reeling off the first six points with clean first-strike tennis. With both players looking to play offensive tennis, Sasnovich weathered the early surge and began to find consistent depth off the baseline. The Belarusian broke first to open up a 3-1 lead and broke the Raducanu serve again for a 5-2 lead, closing the opening set after 30 minutes.
Both players tallied 8 winners apiece in the first set, but Sasnovich was far cleaner, hitting just 4 unforced errors compared to Raducanu’s 12. She was also the more opportunistic, converting both her break point chances while never giving the Brit a look to break her serve once.
Sasnovich broke after a prolonged opening game of the second set, breaking through on her fourth break point of the game to gain the immediate advantage. But Raducanu dug in and refused to let Sasnovich run away with the match. The Brit earned her first break point of the match in the very next game and broke immediately to level at 1-1.
Raducanu continued to pressure the Sasnovich serve from there. Sasnovich was able to save three break points to hold to 2-2, but Raducanu broke again, this time from 0-40, to lead 4-2.
Turning Point: Raducanu’s lead would be short-lived. After battling back from a break down to lead 4-2 in the second set, Raducanu played a poor game to fall behind a quick 0-40. She did well to find two big first serves to close the gap to 30-40, but netted a regulation backhand to hand back her hard-earned break advantage.
Sasnovich seized the moment and wrenched back the momentum from there, breaking Raducanu for a fifth time to 5-4 and then serving out the match for a straight-set win after 1 hour and 25 minutes.
Stat of the Match: Sasnovich kept the pressure on Raducanu’s serve all night by taking advantage of the Brit’s second serve. While the two were fairly comparable in their success rates against the first serve, Sasnovich won 76.2% of her second serve return points, while Raducanu won 57.1%. Her ability to pressure Raducanu’s serve earned 11 break points for the match, while Raducanu generated 5.
Sasnovich finished the match as the cleaner player off the ground. She fired 17 winners to just 19 unforced errors, while Raducanu hit 15 winners to 31 unforced errors.
Photo by WTA/Jimmie48
Petra Kvitova win sets up showdown with Victoria Azarenka
No.7 seed Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic moved into the third round of the BNP Paribas Open for the seventh time in her career with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands.
In the first meeting between the two veteran left-handers, Kvitova weathered a closely-contested patch in the early second set to earn a comprehensive victory in an hour and 16 minutes.
Kvitova swept to an initial 4-0 lead and claimed the first set in half an hour, but World No.68 Rus picked up her play as the second set started. The Dutchwoman forced Kvitova into a six-deuce game at 1-0, then saved four break points to hold for a 2-1 lead.
Kvitova, though, used her thunderous forehand return to obtain a critical break for 3-2, and the Czech charged to the win from there, picking off the last five games of the match.
Kvitova will next face No.27 seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, in an intriguing face-off between two-time Grand Slam champions. Kvitova leads the head-to-head 5-3.
Leylah Fernandez wins her Indian Wells debut
Making her main draw debut, US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez defeated Alizé Cornet 6-2, 6-3 to advance to the third round, where she will face No.9 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Seeded No.23, Fernandez played unrelenting tennis to reel off the first five games of the match before Cornet pulled back two games. Showing no signs of rust, Fernandez fired 24 winners to 16 unforced errors in her first match since New York.
“It does give me a lot of confidence because Alizé, she’s a very tough opponent,” Fernandez said. “I’ve watched her play on tour. She fights for every point. I’ve practiced with her, too. We’ve had some tough practice matches. I knew that today was going to be hard.
“I’m just glad I was able to get the win. It gives me confidence moving forward.”
Jessica Pegula stops Sloane Stephens to keep WTA Finals bid going
No.19 seed Jessica Pegula came into Indian Wells at No.14 in the Porsche Race to the WTA Finals and if the American can duplicate her 2021 success at the WTA 1000 level over the fortnight, she could find herself in a qualifying position for the Akron WTA Finals Guadalajara. Facing compatriot Sloane Stephens in her opener, Pegula dominated behind her serve to win 6-2, 6-3.
Pegula won 88% of her first serves and 79% of her second serves to keep Stephens’ dangerous return game at bay. Pegula did not face a break point in the match. Afterward, Pegula was asked to describe her mindset as she enters the season homestretch. She joked that she’s barely holding it together.
“I’m currently, like, gluing my freaking nails on with super glue right now, that’s where I’m at honestly,” Pegula said. “I just spilled stuff on my shirt. This is where I’m at. Last tournament of the year, besides Billie Jean King Cup, I’m starting to lose it.
“No, I had a little kind of not break, but in between US Open and Chicago, I got to reset a little bit. Played a couple of good matches there. Lost to Ons, who has been playing really well. Lost to her in three sets. I came in here feeling pretty confident. I’m getting married on the 22nd. Honestly, I just want to compete really well and kind of go day by day. Really just not give in, just fight, really tough it out.”
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
