Emma Raducanu’s next opponent confirmed as Grand Slam winner adds new chapter to ‘book of craziest matches’
Aryna Sabalenka survived an intense battle as she saved four match points to beat Payton Stearns at the Indian Wells Open and set up a third-round clash with Emma Raducanu.
Fresh from an early exit from the Dubai Tennis Championships, reigning Australian Open champion Sabalenka came close to losing back-to-back matches on the WTA Tour.
The world No 2 required three hours and 53 minutes to get the better of Stearns as she won 6-7 (2-7), 6-2, 7-6 (8-6) with all the drama coming in the deciding set.
World No 64 Stearns broke in game nine of the third set and then had four match points on her own serve at 40-0 in the next game, but the second seed somehow managed to survive as she broke back.
“I’m super happy that I didn’t give up on that score, and I was really pushing myself hard, even though I didn’t play my best tennis and she was crushing it like crazy,” Sabalenka said. “I was just like trying to stay in the game and keep fighting for every point.
“But this match will definitely go into the book of craziest matches and the best matches of my career.”
READ MORE: Emma Raducanu set for huge rankings boost after Indian Wells progress
The Belarusian, who finished runner-up to Elena Rybakina last year, was again broke in game 11 but she hit back immediately to take it to a tie-breaker. After squandering three match points Sabalenka finally got the job done at the fourth time of asking.
“The first match point somehow I returned the crazy serve, put it back, she didn’t expect that,” the second seed said. “I made a great backhand crosscourt.
“Then the second one, I kind of start feeling she’s getting tight, and probably this is good opportunity for me to stay in the match.”
She added: “I think I was right when I see this tattoo of a tiger and I was fighting today like a tiger. It’s just crazy what happened. She’s an unbelievable player.
“She played crazy tennis. She said at the net, ‘I had you,’ so she’s right. I was probably a little bit lucky to get this win. Super happy to get through this.”
Up next is 2021 US Open winner Raducanu, who advanced after when Dayana Yastremska retired due to illness with the British player leading 4-0 in the first set.
It will be a first career meeting between Sabalenka and wildcard Raducanu with the winner set to face either 16th seed Elina Svitolina or 22nd seed Emma Navarro in the fourth round.
There were a couple of big upsets in the bottom half of the draw on Saturday as fifth seed Jessica Pegula was stunned in three sets by Anna Blinkova while Australian Open runner-up Zheng Qinwen lost against fellow Chinese player Yuan Yen.
World No 45 Blinkova defeated Pegula 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 while eighth seed Zheng suffered a 6-4, 6-3 defeat.
Defending champion Rybakina is also missing after she pulled out on the eve of her first match due to illness. Top seed Iga Swiatek and third seed Coco Gauff, though, are still alive after reaching the third round.
