Jonathan Hui-USA TODAY Sports

Aryna Sabalenka storms into the round of 16 at Indian Wells after beating Emma Raducanu in a tight two-setter

Originally posted on FirstSportz | By Rishab Dutta | Last updated 3/12/24

Fans witnessed a great encounter on the women’s side of things in the 2024 Indian Wells today when Aryna Sabalenka took on Emma Raducanu in the round of 32. Despite losing in straight sets eventually, Raducanu fought very well and it gives fans hope that she might soon be back in top form. The youngster is definitely improving with every tournament that she is playing, and that is what matters in the end.

Raducanu recently made her comeback to the court at the 2024 ASB Classic after a year-long break due to a number of injuries. It is pretty obvious that she will not start competing for trophies right from the get go and there will be a learning curve where she kind of explores herself on the tour once again. That is essentially what she’s doing right now, and she is doing it well.

Talking about the match between Aryna Sabalenka and Emma Raducanu, the Belarusian won it 6-3, 7-5. The British ace performed significantly better in the second set, but Sabalenka was able to neutralize that threat and ended up winning the match.

Sabalenka is the second seed in the tournament and she recently won her second Grand Slam at the Australian Open. Thus, she is definitely one of the favorites to win the trophy this time. However, she has not had such a smooth ride in the Indian Wells till now. She won her first match of the tournament against Peyton Stearns 6-7(7), 6-2, 7-6(6) after much struggle.

#2 Aryna Sabalenka back into the last 16 in Indian Wells with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Emma Raducanu, who played very well. Good to see. pic.twitter.com/FmuzLOR2aJ
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) March 11, 2024

Aryna Sabalenka praises Emma Raducanu after defeating her

In the on-court interview, Sabalenka made it clear that her victory against Raducanu was not at all easy and that the Brit played extremely well. However, the Belarusian was happy with how she played today and said that she loved the atmosphere at the Indian Wells tennis garden.

It was a tough match. She played unbelievable. I’m super happy with the level today and happy to get through this round. You guys brought the best atmosphere. Thank you for the support. I enjoyed playing in front of you. Sabalenka in the on-court interview

Sabalenka’s matchup for the round of 16 has not been decided yet. However, she indeed is one of the favorites to win the tournament this time and has a great chance of facing Iga Swiatek in the final.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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