INDIAN WELLS, Calif. – Former major champions Victoria Azarenka and Petra Kvitova were ousted in the third round of the Indian Wells.
Greece’s Maria Sakkari, who reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros and the US Open last year, fired off five aces in a strong service display to make light work of Czech Kvitova 6-3 6-0.
The world number six won all of her first-serve points in the first set and dropped just one in the second, as Kvitova struggled with her serve, producing five double-faults across the 66-minute affair in California.
Two-times Wimbledon winner Kvitova ceded break point in the eighth game of the first set and never regained her composure, as Sakkari fended off two breaks to close out the frame and ran away with the match in the second set.
It was the second time that Sakkari has reached the round of 16 at tennis’ unofficial “fifth major,” after she reached the fourth round in 2018.
Two-time winner and 13th seed Azarenka fell to Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina 6-3 6-4 after a malfunctioning serve saw her produce eight double faults.
An in-form Rybakina produced a pristine first set, launching four aces without dropping a single first-serve point to claim the early momentum.
With her right shoulder heavily taped and a sleeve placed on her right arm, two-time Australian Open champion Azarenka grimaced, crouched down on the court and wept after a double fault in the fifth game of the second set.
Meanwhile, Daniil Medvedev was sent crashing out of the ATP/WTA Indians Wells Masters in a stunning defeat to Gael Monfils that ended the Russian’s three-week reign as world number one.
French world number 28 Monfils produced a vintage performance to down Medvedev 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 in just over two hours to advance to the fourth round.
It was the first time the 35-year-old Monfils has beaten a player ranked world number one since 2009.
The defeat means Novak Djokovic will return to the top of the world rankings, three weeks after Medvedev took top spot on February 28.
Elsewhere, Tommy Paul collected the biggest win of his career with a stunning 6-2 4-6 7-6(2) victory over third seed Alexander Zverev under the lights at Indian Wells. Alexander Bublik got revenge against Andy Murray, beating the former world number one 7-6(9) 6-3.
After a strong start, the 24-year-old American’s good fortune appeared to dry up in the California desert when the hard-hitting German was up a break and serving at 4-2 in the decider.
But Zverev committed four double faults in the game to let Paul back into the match and he did not waste the opportunity, keeping his nerve to force a tiebreak where he played nearly flawless tennis to secure the upset before an adoring crowd.
“I started well, I came to the net a ton and put a lot of pressure on his serve,” Paul said in an on-court interview according to Reuters.
“He started serving really well there in the second set and even into the third, but I got kind of lucky there when I got down a break. We’ll always take those,” he said with a laugh.
Elsewhere, big-serving Alexander Bublik got revenge against Andy Murray, beating the former world number one 7-6(9) 6-3 to notch his first win over the Scot in three career meetings.
Bublik won the first set tiebreak to seize the momentum and pounded his way to the finish line as Murray was unable to convert any of his six break-point opportunities.
The Kazakhstani sealed the win with a deft drop shot on match point that Murray was unable to reach.
Bublik stood and joined the crowd in applauding the three-time major champion, who claimed his 700th career win on Friday, as he walked off the court.
Murray, who defeated Bublik in straight sets in Rotterdam in February, was left to wonder what might have been.
“Obviously in the tiebreak both of us had some chances, but in the first set I certainly created more opportunities and I didn’t take them,” Murray told reporters.
Sixth seed Matteo Berrettini managed to serve his way out of trouble to survive a tough test from 18-year-old qualifier Holger Rune and hang on for a 6-3 4-6 6-4 win.
The Italian Australian Open semifinalist was forced to retire with injury during the second set of his last match against Paul in Acapulco last month and admitted to having some rust.
“It’s always tricky when you step into the court again so I’m happy to get the win,” Berrettini said.
In other second round action, Americans Taylor Fritz, Steve Johnson, Frances Tiafoe and John Isner all won in straight sets, while fan favorite Diego Schwartzman of Argentina and Hubert Hurkacz of Poland needed three sets to advance to the third round of the Masters 1000 tournament.
