Goffin Reaches Semifinals Over Cilic

David Goffin is through to his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semifinal after beating Marin Cilic 7-6(4), 6-2 on Thursday at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
The Belgian backed up his fourth-round win over third seed Stan Wawrinka, which lasted almost two and a half hours on Wednesday, to beat Cilic in one hour and 38 minutes. Goffin saved 11 of the 12 break points he faced to beat the Croat for the second time this month, having also bested him on the eve of Indian Wells in Davis Cup action.
The 25-year-old Goffin goes on to face either Milos Raonic or Gael Monfils as he bids to reach the biggest final of his career.

 

Serena Williams Sets Radwanska Clash

Serena Williams thought Wednesday night’s match in the BNP Paribas Open against defending champion
Simona Halep could be a measuring stick. What it seemed to be measuring was the distance between Williams and the rest of the WTA.
Halep played fine, but she couldn’t do much in losing 6-4, 6-3 to Williams in 68 minutes.
“I'm happy to be able to close that one out,” Williams said. “Obviously I think there are always things that I would like to work on to do better, but overall I think it was a solid win for me.”
“She knows how to play in big stadiums and big matches, big games,” Williams said. “Obviously she does everything so well, including running, and this is a good surface for her because it's a slow surface. I think I expect there will be a lot of long rallies.

“Honestly, I will be ready. I really like Aga on and off the court. I think she's super exciting to watch on the court, and off the court I think she's really one of the nicest people. Regardless, I think it will be a really good match-up.” 
Williams said that she had noticed Radwanska’s consistency this year. With her victory over Kvitova, that makes it four semifinals in all four tournaments she’s played this year. Radwanska won a title in Shenzhen and lost to Williams in the Australian Open semifinal 6-0, 6-4.
“She's been so consistent. I was thinking she should be (ranked) higher,” Williams said. “It's unfortunate it can't be a final, but we'll see how it goes.

“I don't think she's won this tournament yet, but obviously she probably wants to. We will see how that goes.”

Source: BNP Paribas Open

Djokovic Beats Lopez, Faces Tsonga in Quarterfinals

After losing to Feliciano Lopez just three weeks ago, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic was ruthless in his
dismissal of the Spaniard on Wednesday evening at the BNP Paribas Open, reaching the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-3 victory on Stadium 1.
Djokovic advanced in just 66 minutes, winning 75 per cent of his service points and breaking Lopez three times from six opportunities. Lopez is the only man to beat Djokovic this season, when the Serb retired due to an eye problem after the first set of their Dubai quarterfinal last month.
"I have respect for his game, which definitely made me very cautious of approaching this match and made me very determined to impose my game plan from the very beginning," said Djokovic.

"Obviously trying to be patient and wait for the opportunities, and when they presented, I needed to capitalize on them. Which I did.

"I don't think he has played on the level that he can, but I just think that I made him play an extra shot, which is very important against players like him. I was very solid. I didn't allow him to come to the net too many times. It was a good performance."
Lopez had earned his place in the Round of 16 after an epic victory over fellow Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut on Tuesday, in a match lasting three hours and 16 minutes. The 34-year-old Lopez is back in action Thursday when he and Marc Lopez team up in the doubles quarterfinals against Australian Open champions Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares.

Source: BNP Paribas Open

Nadal Beats Zverev From a Matchpoint Down to Reach Quarterfinals

Former world no.1, three times champion Rafael Nadal advances through the quarterfinals of BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells) 2016. Spaniard defeats german Alexander Zverev in three sets (6-7; 6-0; 7-5). Nadal comeback from a matchpoint down to beat Zverev, as he reaches QF. In quarterfinal, spaniard will meet winner of John Isner vs Kei Nishikori.

Cilic Beats Gasquet to Reach Quarterfinals

It took two hours and 15 minutes, but 10th seed Marin Cilic ultimately prevailed over eighth seed Richard Gasquet, reaching the BNP Paribas Open quarter-finals with a 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 victory on Wednesday in

The Croat let by a set and 5-3, but Gasquet reeled off four straight games to level the contest. Cilic regained the advantage in the sixth game of the decider, though, and didn't falter as he went on to close out his 12th win of the season.

The 27-year-old Cilic, the 2014 US Open champion (d. Nishikori), is through to the quarterfinals at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden for the first time and goes on to face David Goffin, who pulled off his second career win over a Top 10 player against World No. 4 Stan Wawrinka, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(5) on Stadium 2.
Indian Wells.

Source: BNP Paribas Open

Wawrinka out of Indian Wells

Swiss tennis player, world no.4 Stan Wawrinka is out of BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells) 2016. Wawrinka got defeated by David Goffin in three sets (3-6; 7-5; 6-7).

Djokovic Holds off Kohlschreiber; Thiem Tops Sock

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic fended off a late fightback from Philipp Kohlschreiber to book his place in the BNP Paribas Open fourth round with a 7-5, 7-5 victory on Tuesday night at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

The 28-year-old Djokovic goes on to face the only man to have beaten him all year - Feliciano Lopez - on Wednesday for a spot in the quarterfinals. Lopez scored a rare win over Djokovic in the Dubai quarterfinals last month, when the Serb retired with an eye problem after losing the first set.
Djokovic is chasing an unprecedented fifth Indian Wells crown and his third in a row. The Belgrade native moved to a 43-6 tournament record as he edged Kohlschreiber in one hour and 39 minutes.

Djokovic let slip a 5-2 lead in the second set, squandering four match points as he served for victory in the ninth game. But the right-hander broke Kohlschreiber decisively in the 12th game to seal victory - his eighth in nine meetings with the No. 30-ranked Kohlschreiber.
"I allowed myself twice to lose serve when I was a break up in both sets," said Djokovic. "Those things cannot happen. I cannot allow myself any more to react that way in those particular circumstances.

"I was fortunate today to manage to win in straight sets. But Kohlschreiber is an experienced player. He has played so many times on the big occasions, so he knows how to capitalize on the opportunities and come back into the match.

"I just put myself in a very difficult position after that. But there are more positive things I can take out of this match today comparing it with the first one."
Djokovic has an 18-1 match record this season, highlighted by the title in Doha (d. Nadal) and his 11th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open (d. Murray).
Dominic Thiem finished strongly to defeat Jack Sock 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-1 in a third-round contest between two of the ATP World Tour’s most exciting young talents. The 22-year-old Austrian responded to the loss of a tight second set by reeling off five games in a row. Sock broke back as Thiem served for the match, but the right-hander immediately struck again to claim victory in two hours and 14 minutes.
Thiem has been one of the form players on the ATP World Tour in 2016, surging to a career-high World No. 13 after beating Rafael Nadal en route to the Buenos Aires title and winning his first ATP World Tour 500 crown in Acapulco.
Next up for the Austrian, as he looks to reach his second ATP World Tour Masters 1000 quarterfinal, will be Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The seventh-seeded Tsonga defeated home favorite Sam Querrey 6-3, 6-4 in 74 minutes.

Source: BNP Paribas Open

Azarenka Holds Off Stosur

Victoria Azarenka tamped down a second-set surge from Samantha Stosur to extend her head-to-head dominance over the Australian and book herself a spot in the BNP Paribas Open quarterfinals.
Victoria Azarenka tamped down a second-set surge from Samantha Stosur to win 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, extending her head-to-head dominance over the Australian and booking herself a spot in the BNP Paribas Open quarterfinals.
Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Indian Wells right here on wtatennis.com!
Stosur and Azarenka are familiar opponents, having faced each other nine times previously. Though the Belarusian's eight consecutive wins over Stosur give her a clear advantage, the aggressive way in which she came out firing tonight certainly turned heads - although not for her.
"Not really. I'm not surprised," laughed Azarenka, who in the first set alone created 12 break opportunities and converted three. "I try to stay in the moment for every point. Sam is such a tough player, she has such a tough serve, so whenever I had the opportunity I take it."
After seeing the first set whiz past her in barely half an hour, Stosur managed to stave off Azarenka's momentum in the second. She opened the set by breaking to love, taking advantage of the unforced errors that were beginning to pile up off the Belarusian's racquet. She left Azarenka playing catch-up, taking the second set to level the scoreboard.
Azarenka turned on the pressure in the deciding set, though, and there was not much the Australian could do as Azarenka's aggressive play forced her to go for bigger shots, drawing out the errors. Stosur hit 37 unforced errors to 32 winners, compared to Azarenka's 24 and 25.
With the victory Azarenka is back into the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open, her first appearance at this stage since 2013.
"I'm just so happy to be back on the court after a tough two years of injuries and really missing the game, missing competition. Sometimes you get a little bit of a different perspective, so I just want to enjoy myself on the court," Azarenka said after the match.
"I'm in a different stage in my career, where I can just play for fun and fight hard and try to do the best I can."
Awaiting in the quarterfinals is Magdalena Rybarikova, who advanced against Roberta Vinci after the Italian was forced to retire in the second set due to a left foot injury, 6-2, 2-0. Azarenka leads the head-to-head against Rybarikova 2-0.

Source: WTA Tennis

Serena Williams Marches On at Indian Wells to meet Halep in QF

World No. 1 Serena Williams continued her quest for a third BNP Paribas Open crown after dismissing qualifier Kateryna Bondarenko 6-2, 6-2 in the fourth round on Tuesday.
The 34 year old, who lifted the Indian Wells crown in 1999 (d. Graf) and 2001 (d. Clijsters), fired seven aces over the match spanning 72 minutes on Stadium 1. The 21-time Grand Slam champion improves 3-0 against the Ukrainian and will play defending champion Simona Halep for a place in the semifinals.

"I really like her game," said Williams about Halep. "I like how she's aggressive. She's a fighter. I definitely have to be ready.

"It'll be a really good match I think for both of us to kind of see where we want to be at at this point in the year."


The Romanian Halep advanced to third straight quarterfinal in the desert after Barbora Strycova retired from their fourth-round clash while trailing 3-6, 0-1.

"I expect a tough one, of course," said Halep about Williams. "She's very strong. I know her pretty well. We played each other many times."

Williams leads their head-to-head series 6-1. In their most recent meeting, Williams defeated Halep 6-3, 7-6(5) in the 2015 Western & Southern Open final in Cincinnati.

"I know that it's gonna be tough to win, but still, I have my chance," added Halep. "I believe that I have my chance, and I just have to go to play my best, to try everything to win.

"I think I have to do my game like I did every day since I came to the U.S.: aggressive, not very strong. I don't hit very strong. I just take the ball fast. I move well. I hit with confidence. Also, the serve is going well.

"So I feel okay. I feel that I have the game to play against her. We will see tomorrow. It's tough. I repeat that, because it's normal to be tough. She's No. 1 in the world."

Source: BNP Paribas Open

Nadal Advances Over Verdasco at Indian Wells

Former world no.1, spaniard Rafael Nadal advances through the next round of BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells) 2016. Nadal beats his compatriot Fernando Verdasco in straight sets (6-0; 7-6). Next round Nadal will face german Alexander Zverev.

Radwanska Edges Jankovic at Indian Wells

Polish tennis female player, world no.3 Agnieszka Radwanska advanced in quarterfinals of BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells) 2016. Radwanska beats serbian jelena Jankovic with 2-0 in sets (6-3; 6-3)

Kvitova Reaches Indian Wells Quarterfinals

World No. 9 Petra Kvitova ended the run of qualifier Nicole Gibbs 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open on Tuesday.
The Czech left-hander struck more than twice the number of winners than her American opponent (27 to 11) and won 18 of 25 points at net to tie up the match in just over two hours. With the victory, the two-time Wimbledon champion equals her best performance in Indian Wells (2013 QFs, l. to Kirilenko).


“It’s always tough coming back after losing the first [set],” said Kvitova on court after the match. “We both played really well in the third set so I was happy to get the win.”

The 26 year old will vie for her place in the final four against 2014 runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska, who defeated 2010 champion Jelena Jankovic 6-3, 6-3.

Other WTA stars slated to play their fourth-round matches today include World No. 1 Serena Williams, defending champion Simona Halep, and ninth seed Roberta Vinci.

Source: BNP Paribas Open

Nishikori and Zverev Win at Indian Wells

Japanese tennis player Kei Nishikori and german Alexander Zverev advance through the next round of BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells) 2016. Nishikori beats Steve Johnson with 2-0 in sets (7-6; 7;6) while Alexander zverev defeats french Gilles Simon in straight sets (6-2; 6-2).

Wawrinka Advances at Indian Wells

Reigning French Open champion Stan Wawrinka won his third round match at the ATP Tour Indian Wells tournament on Monday, defeating Russian Andrey Kuznetsov 6-4, 7-6 (7/5).
World No. 4 Wawrinka advances to the fourth round where he will face 15th seeded David Goffin of Belgium who beat Guido Pella 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Gasquet Defeats Dolgopolov From a Set Down

Richard Gasquet defeated Alexandr Dolgopolov in three sets to book his spot in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open.

Frenchman Richard Gasquet came from a set behind to defeat Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 on Stadium two to book his spot in round four of the BNP Paribas Open. 

Berdych Beats Coric at Indian Wells

Tomas Berdych survived a late comeback from Borna Coric on Monday evening at the BNP Paribas Open to book his spot in the fourth round with a 6-1, 7-6(3) victory.
The sixth-seeded Czech led by a double break at 4-1 in the second set and held two match points when he served at 5-4, but ultimately claimed victory in the tie-break after Next Generation star Coric fought back.
The 30-year-old Berdych advances to a meeting with Milos Raonic, whom he trails 2-3 in their head-to-head. The right-hander is making his 12^th appearance at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, highlighted by a semifinal showing in 2013 (l. to Nadal).

Source: BNP Paribas Open

Bouchard out, Azarenka to Face Stosur

Switzerland’s Timea Bacsinszky secured her place in the round of 16 of BNP Paribas Open after toughing out a 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 win over Eugenie Bouchard on Monday.
The Swiss World No. 21, a quarterfinalist in Indian Wells last year (l. to S. Williams), took a nasty fall in the first game of the second set and received a medical timeout to have her cuts bandaged. The 26 year old broke her Canadian opponent six times during the contest lasting two hours and 22 minutes.

Bacsinszky will meet Russian Daria Kasatkina, a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(2) winner over Portugal's Monica Puig. This will be the first meeting between the two players.

After suffering a concussion at the US Open last year, Bouchard played only one one other match for the rest of the season. She has since rebounded to start the year, reaching the quarterfinals in Doha and finals in Kuala Lumpur (l. to Svitolina) and Hobart (l. to Cornet).

"It's a long road back; doing better than expected," Bouchard said. "I feel better about my game. Whether the results come or not."
On Stadium 2, No. 26 seed Samantha Stosur also contested a match that stretched past the two-hour mark. The former semifinalist (’10, l. to Jankovic) edged Christina McHale 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.
Stosur will next face the 2012 champion, Victoria Azarenka, who was tested from the baseline, but played with flashes of her former No. 1 self in a 6-4, 6-3 decision over 2016 success story Zhang Shuai. Azarenka ended the match on a patented forehand winner crosscourt, letting out a cry of “Come on!” as she sealed the victory.

The Belarusian leads her head-to-head with Stosur 8-1, though they haven’t met in nearly three years. It was the Australian who won that most recent meeting, 6-2, 6-3 in Carlsbad.

Source: BNP Paribas Open

Andy Murray Crashes out of Indian Wells

World no.2, british Andy Murray is out of ATP BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells) 2016. Murray got
defeated by argentinian Federico Delbonis in three sets (4-6; 6-4; 6-7). That was Andy Murray's first defeat to a left-hander not named Nadal since 2011, ending a 39-match win streak.

WTA Indian Wells Ana Ivanovic vs Karolina Pliskova Highlights

Ana Ivanovic out of Indian Wells

Former world no.1, serbian tennis female player Ana Ivanovic is out from WTA BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells) 2016. Ivanovic easily got defeated by Karolina Pliskova with 2-0 in sets (6-2; 6-0).
More to follow...