Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and Italian rival Jannik Sinner on Tuesday remained on course for a semi-final showdown after cruising into the last eight of the BNP Paribas Open, while top seed Iga Swiatek beat Yulia Putintseva to advance.
Alcaraz sailed into the last eight as he took revenge on Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan with a 6-3, 6-3 victory.
Meanwhile, in-form Sinner booked his last-eight berth with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 defeat of Ben Shelton.
Photo: AFP
Sinner’s win was his 18th straight victory dating to late last season, leaving him three wins away from his third title of the season after winning the Australian Open and the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
“I played really well in the tight moments,” the 22-year-old world No. 3 said as he lines up against Czech Jiri Lehecka in the quarters. “I knew I would not get much rhythm from him. I can be proud of how I played. The wind didn’t make it easier, but I tried to stay positive and it worked out.”
Sinner could face Spain’s reigning Wimbledon champion Alcaraz in the semi-finals in California in what would be the latest installment of a burgeoning rivalry.
The duo fought an epic US Open quarter-final in 2022 and met in the semi-finals at Indian Wells and the Miami Open last season.
Alcaraz, had a score to settle with the 58th-ranked Marozsan after losing their only other meeting at last year’s Italian Open, must navigate a quarter-final against sixth seed Alexander Zverev before any meeting with Sinner.
Zverev reached the last eight after defeating Alex de Minaur 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 in two-and-three-quarter hours.
Elsewhere, Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas failed to reach a second career quarter-final at Indian Wells, with the 11th seed losing 6-2, 6-4 to rising Czech youngster Lehecka. The upset was the youngster’s second in succession after dispatching fifth seed Andrey Rublev in the previous round.
In the women’s fourth round, Swiatek beat Putintseva 6-1, 6-2 to set up a quarter-final with Caroline Wozniacki. Swiatek has beaten Putintseva in all three of their matches without the loss of a set.
She dominated the 79th-ranked Kazakh by sweeping the opening set in 29 minutes, but was forced to battle in a second set marred by six breaks of serve.
“I had to keep focus in the second set,” Swiatek said. “She was trying some different stuff. I just wanted to play my game and I’m glad I did.”
Wozniacki won a battle of returning tennis mothers, defeating Anelique Kerber 6-4, 6-2.
Both of the over-30 pair of former No. 1 players and Grand Slam champions are back competing on the Tour after giving birth.
“This will be my first quarter-final since my three-and-a-half-year [maternity] break.” Wozniacki said. “To be back playing is a special feeling.”
Dubai champion Jasmine Paolini lost 7-5, 0-6, 6-3 to Anastasia Potapova, while Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 6-1 to reach the last eight.
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