Iga Swiatek, the top-ranked player, redeemed herself at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells by defeating Linda Noskova, the Czech teenager who had ousted her at the Australian Open. Swiatek clinched a convincing victory with a score of 6-4, 6-0 in the third round on Sunday.
In the men’s draw, both second-seeded Carlos Alcaraz and third-seeded Jannik Sinner smoothly progressed to the next round in straight sets. However, fifth-seeded Andrey Rublev faced a setback, succumbing to a 6-4, 6-4 loss against No. 32 seed Jiri Lehecka.
Swiatek’s triumph propelled her into the round of 16, where she is set to clash with Yulia Putintseva from Kazakhstan. Putintseva secured her spot by defeating Madison Keys with a scoreline of 6-4, 6-1, contributing to a challenging day for American singles players.
Meanwhile, Francis Tiafoe faced a defeat of 6-3, 6-3 against Stefanos Tsitsipas, while Katie Volynets was ousted by Caroline Wozniacki after a three-set battle ending 6-2, 4-6, 6-0.
In the men’s round of 16, the 11th-seeded Tsitsipas is slated to go head-to-head against Lehecka.
Reflecting on her rematch with Noskova, Swiatek acknowledged initial errors but ultimately seized control of the match. The encounter lasted approximately 73 minutes, with Swiatek emphasizing the importance of consistency and minimizing mistakes.
Another noteworthy match saw Jasmine Paolini clinching a tight victory against Anna Kalinskaya with a score of 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. Paolini, who recently triumphed at the Dubai Championships, once again showcased her resilience against Kalinskaya.