So far, the Indian Wells Masters has seen a few upsets, if any, but that doesn’t mean that the prestigious tournament lacks excitement or world-class performances.
As expected, household names like Swiatek, Sabalenka, Gauff, and other notable participants successfully reached the Round of 16 in Tennis Paradise and have no signs of slowing down.
Unfortunately, tennis fans wouldn’t be able to witness Elena Rybakina defend her Indian Wells title, as the 24-year-old reported that she is currently suffering from gastrointestinal issues, forcing her to withdraw from the event right before her match against Nadia Podoroska.
The tournament is already set for the showdown in the Round of 16, but before that, let’s take a step back and look at the latest Indian Wells Masters 2024 news and updates that transpired in the past couple of days, courtesy of SBOTOP.
Rybakina withdraws due to illness
The defending Indian Wells champion, Elena Rybakina, withdraws from the event four hours before her first match against Nadia Podoroska due to gastrointestinal issues.
Rybakina put out a statement: “It is with great sadness I must announce I will not be able to participate at this year’s Indian Wells tournament due to gastrointestinal issues. Those close to me know how much this tournament means to me and how much I want to come back and defend my title. I would like to thank all the fans who came out here to support me, and I am sorry they will not get a chance to see me play this year. Now I will rest and recover so I can come out and play and compete for my fans to the best of my abilities once again.”
The Kazakhstani also pulled out of the recent Dubai Tennis Championships. She was poised to face the unseeded Jasmine Paolini in the quarterfinals, but the World No. 4 was forced to withdraw herself from the event due to a gastrointestinal illness.
Despite her recent setbacks, Rybakina still has won more matches on tour in 2024 than any other foe in the WTA, boasting a 17-3 record and winning titles in Brisbane and Abu Dhabi, as well as reaching the WTA 1000 final in Doha.
Iga’s Bagel Factory is Back in Business
The world No. 1 and 2022 Indian Wells champion Iga Swiatek continues to show how dominant she is by dismantling her first pair of adversaries in the Indian Wells Masters. The Polish first met with the American Danielle Collins, who was swiftly taken care of in two sets, 6-3, 6-0.
Swiatek then took on World No. 26 Linda Noskova in the Round of 32. The Czech tennis player proved to be the better adversary for Swiatek, but Noskova’s efforts were still far from sufficient to knock off the World No. 1.
Noskova fared well and was showing a competitive effort in the first set, but Swiatek immediately flipped a switch and began to dominate Noskova. Swiatek won 6-4, 6-0, adding another victim to Iga’s Bagel Factory.
“I made some mistakes at the beginning. I tried to maybe play to finish the rallies too early,” Swiatek said after the match. “But I knew that if I’m going to try to stay consistent and make a little bit less mistakes, my chances may come. So for sure wasn’t comfortable, but I was ready to break back.”
The Indian Wells Masters 2024 betting odds have the World No. 1 as the clear favourite in her upcoming Round of 16 match against Yulia Ptintseva.
Sabalenka holds off Raducanu
Aryna Sabalenka, on the other hand, had a tougher time clinching her spot in the Round of 16 compared to Swiatek. The World No. 2 fought long and hard against fellow Grand Slam champion Emma Raducanu, 6-3, 7-5.
“I know that (Raducanu’s) level is there, and she can play some great tennis,” Sabalenka exclaimed after the match. “But on those key moments, I was focusing on myself and things that I have to do on court to be in this match, and I think it’s worked well.”
With this win, Sabalenka improves to 6-0 against players from Great Britain, but more importantly, she is one step closer to avenging her loss to Elena Rybakina in the Indian Wells finals last year.
The World No. 2 isn’t out of the woods just yet, as she will be taking on an unfamiliar foe, Emma Navarro, in the Round of 16.
Navarro is the No. 23 seed and will surely put up a good match against Sabalenka. This will be the first time these competitors will share the court, and it will surely be one of the matches to look out for in the next round of the tournament.
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