Rogers overcomes Fernandez in thriller; Badosa ousts Krejcikova in Indian Wells

Shelby Rogers of the USA pulled off a stirring comeback win on the BNP Paribas Open on Tuesday, overcoming US Open finalist and No.23 seed Leylah Fernandez of Canada, 2-6, 6-1, 7-6(4) to achieve the quarterfinals.

After being overwhelmed within the opening set, World No.44 Rogers turned the encounter all the best way round, incomes victory over the 19-year-old Fernandez after 2 hours and 34 minutes of gripping play.

Phrases from the winner: “I assumed it was an unimaginable battle at this time,” Rogers stated in her post-match press convention. “I assumed we each performed rather well at occasions, and it was a form of tug-of-war sort of match, one which’s actually enjoyable to play truly. It is a particular form of problem.

“The group was into it on either side. They needed good tennis. They needed extra tennis. So I am simply actually comfortable to come back by way of that one and overcome some emotional and psychological battles throughout that match and beat somebody that is enjoying rather well.”

Stat nook: Rogers got here into the match with a hardcourt win over Fernandez beneath her belt, having crushed the teenage Canadian in straight units in Lexington final season, of their solely earlier assembly.

Rogers claimed one other victory by edging Fernandez in a match the place little or no separated the gamers. Nevertheless, whereas the pair had an equal variety of unforced errors, highly effective Rogers completed the conflict with 36 winners to Fernandez’s 25.

The 28-year-old American continues her sturdy summer-into-autumn hardcourt season in 2021. Rogers has gained 9 of her final 11 matches, which features a journey to the US Open fourth spherical, the place she beat World No.1 Ashleigh Barty (additionally in a third-set tiebreak) earlier than falling to eventual champion Emma Raducanu.

The round-of-16 victory means Rogers has properly outpaced her earlier greatest leads to Indian Wells. In her 5 prior main-draw appearances within the desert, Rogers had fallen within the second spherical thrice and misplaced her opening-rounder twice.

Key moments: Two breaks of serve helped Fernandez cost to the one-set lead, after a gap body the place she efficiently staved off all 4 of the break factors she confronted. Fernandez went 2-for-2 on her personal break level conversion as she put herself a set away from the quarterfinals.

However Rogers used a clutch of fearsome forehands to regroup within the second set, and the American stormed to a triple-break, 5-0 lead. Though she did not serve out the bagel, Rogers earned a fourth break of the set within the ultimate sport by placing excessive strain returning the Fernandez serve, ultimately leading to a double fault on set level.

A basic ultimate set adopted, the place the gamers had a mixed 15 break factors however solely dropped serve as soon as apiece, within the first two video games. They blasted pictures all the best way into the decisive tiebreak, however not earlier than Fernandez saved a match level at 6-5 with a scintillating all-court level.

Within the closely-contested breaker, Rogers fired a backhand winner off a wayward Fernandez dropshot to steer 5-4. Two unforced errors by Fernandez adopted, and Rogers had pulled off the upset after two-and-a-half hours of thrilling play.

Subsequent up: Rogers will face No.24 seed Jelena Ostapenko within the quarterfinals, after Ostapenko upset No.2 seed Iga Swiatek in a battle of Roland Garros champions.

2017 Roland Garros champion Ostapenko has crushed Rogers in each of their earlier conferences, though she wanted a third-set tiebreak to get previous Rogers within the American’s hometown of Charleston in 2019.

Badosa blasts previous Krejcikova for third Prime 5 win

No.21 seed Paula Badosa joined Rogers within the quarterfinals, because the Spaniard shocked No.3 seed Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic, 6-1, 7-5, to make the elite eight on the BNP Paribas Open.

In a stellar show, Badosa knocked out the reigning Roland Garros champion in simply 85 minutes, bettering to 2-0 lifetime in opposition to present World No.5 Krejcikova.

Badosa began 2021 with out a Prime 10 win to her title, however she has now picked up 4 of these already this season. Three of these have come over members of the Prime 5, with victories over World No.1 Ashleigh Barty in Charleston and No.3 Aryna Sabalenka in Cincinnati previous her upset of Krejcikova.

24 winners from the Spanish No.2 doubled her unforced error depend of 12, as Badosa exhibited clear and exact play which helped her seize six breaks of serve. Against this, Krejcikova’s 20 winners had been overridden by 28 unforced errors from her racquet.

Badosa began the match by breaking serve within the very first sport with a backhand winner down the road, and she or he closed out a dominant first set with one other profitable down-the-line backhand, this time on a service return.

Issues had been nearer within the second set, with 4 service breaks within the first six video games. Krejcikova almost faltered serving at 4-5, having to save lots of a match level with an error-forcing forehand earlier than holding for 5-5.

Badosa, although, wouldn’t be denied. She broke serve at love at 6-5 to wrap up the win, ending the conflict with a forehand passing winner.

Because it turned out, the scoreline was equivalent to their earlier assembly, when Badosa beat Krejcikova within the first spherical of Madrid earlier this yr, en path to a semifinal exhibiting on dwelling soil.

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