Jabeur sets up quarterfinal clash with Kontaveit; Kerber dominates in Indian Wells

No.12 seed Ons Jabeur by no means made it previous the second spherical on the BNP Paribas Open earlier than final week, however the Tunisian boosted her possibilities to qualify for the Akron WTA Finals Guadalajara after defeating Russian qualifier Anna Kalinskaya 6-2, 6-2 to advance to her second WTA 1000 quarterfinal of the season.

Together with her tour-leading forty seventh win of the season, Jabeur will rise to No.8 on the WTA Finals Leaderboard on Monday, the place she overtakes Naomi Osaka. 

Jabeur performed a pitch-perfect match underneath the lights towards Kalinskaya, hitting 32 winners to simply 15 unforced errors. She was not damaged within the match. Jabeur flummoxed the Russian, who had scored two large wins towards Sara Sorribes Tormo and Viktorija Golubic to make her first WTA 1000 Spherical of 16.

Turning level: Main by a set and a break and serving to consolidate at 6-2, 2-1 within the second set, Jabeur double-faulted at 30-all to provide Kalinskaya an opportunity to get the set again on serve. Kalinskaya pushed a backhand into the web to provide Jabeur a brief reprieve however generated three extra break-point possibilities within the tightest sport of the match.

Jabeur didn’t blink. A giant forehand earned an error to avoid wasting the primary, a primary serve saved the second and a searing operating forehand winner down the road saved the third. Jabeur went on to carry and, after warding off Kalinskaya’s surge, Jabeur secured the win after 1 hour and 18 minutes.

Subsequent up for Jabeur: Eyeing a spot in her first WTA 1000 semifinal, Jabeur will face a red-hot Anett Kontaveit within the quarterfinals. 

“Anticipating a really powerful match,” Jabeur mentioned. “Final time we performed was in Cincinnati, however now I really feel like Anett is a unique participant, extra assured proper now. She’s enjoying unbelievable. I watched her when she gained the title in Ostrava. I should play my sport. I should change up the rhythm.

“Actually, I’ll attempt to have enjoyable on the court docket. She’s been enjoying so good. Accepting each winner she’s going to placed on the court docket. She’s an unbelievable participant and a good friend on tour. Such an incredible good friend to have her. It is going to be an incredible battle. No matter goes to occur, I’ll do my greatest. If I win or if she wins, I will be actually glad for her.”

Kontaveit wins 18th consecutive set to seal quarterfinal spot

No.18 seed Anett Kontaveit continued her profitable kind, defeating fortunate loser Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-0, 6-2 in 65 minutes to advance to her first Indian Wells quarterfinal. The win prolonged Kontaveit’s profitable streak to 9 consecutive matches wherein she has not misplaced a set throughout that span.

Kontaveit got here into the fourth spherical off a robust efficiency to oust defending champion Bianca Andreescu within the third spherical. Haddad Maia, who discovered herself in the principle draw as a fortunate loser, tallied the most important win of her profession within the third spherical when she defeated top-seeded Karolina Pliskova.

However the No.135 Brazilian had no solutions for Kontaveit of their first assembly on the professional tour. Kontaveit misplaced simply eight factors on her serve for the match, whereas dominating the factors from the baseline high break Haddad Maia 5 instances.

“I am feeling good,” Kontaveit mentioned. “I have been enjoying good tennis. Have a number of wins underneath my belt. I am feeling actually good about it. It is going to be a tricky match for positive. Ons has been enjoying very well. 

“I am feeling actually good about my sport so I am prepared for a battle and prepared for no matter comes.”

Kerber makes fifth Indian Wells quarterfinal with win versus Tomljanovic

No.10 seed Angelique Kerber superior to her third straight BNP Paribas Open quarterfinal on Tuesday with a 6-4, 6-1 win within the fourth spherical over Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic. A finalist in 2019, the German Kerber will face No.21 seed Paula Badosa for a spot within the semifinals.

Kerber got here into her third assembly with Tomljanovic filled with confidence after two powerful three-set wins towards Katerina Siniakova and Daria Kasatkina. The unseeded Tomljanovic had finished effectively to pave her personal manner by means of the draw, incomes her first Prime 10 win of the season, over No.5 seed Garbiñe Muguruza, and ousting No.26 seed Tamara Zidansek. 

Kerber raced out to a 5-1 lead within the opening set earlier than Tomljanovic was in a position to reap the benefits of the previous No.1’s misfiring groundstrokes to shut the hole to 5-4. It took Kerber 5 set factors to lastly shut out the opener, lastly clinching it by breaking down the Australian’s forehand to earn a buried shot into the web.

With the set in hand, Kerber powered by means of the second set with out dropping serve and started to inject extra offensive firepower into her forehand. She completed with 21 winners and 21 unforced errors, holding Tomljanovic to 12 winners and extracting 27 unforced errors.

“It was a tricky match truly,” Kerber mentioned. “I performed effectively within the first set. She got here again. It was actually an in depth first set on the finish. The second set was as effectively actually powerful. I imply, even the rating was a bit bit not like actually shut, however each single sport was a tricky battle. I used to be simply attempting to be aggressive, take my possibilities. I am glad to be by means of and be within the subsequent spherical right here.”