AS part of the Indian Wells WTA 1000 Masters coverage, we will be adding the Round of 16 scores all in one place, as well as some highlighted matches from the day.
MI O MI(R) WHAT A WIN
Unseeded Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic has upset sixth seed Italian Matteo Berrettini in a three-set thriller to reach the Indian Wells quarter finals. In what was just the world number 61’s second Top 10 win in his career, the 22-year-old defeated the rising Italian 6-3 6-7 6-4 in two hours and 29 minutes. Boasting a career-high 38, Kecmanovic is two wins away from beating that. Though it would require him to at least make the final, the new world number 48 has moved up 13 spots already.
The win marked the second time Kecmanovic had reached the last eight at Indian Wells, having achieved the feat the last time the event was played in March back in 2019. He will now face American Taylor Fritz in the quarter finals to achieve his best ever effort at an ATP Masters 1000 event.
MONFILS FAILS TO ESCAPE ALCARAZ
Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz has continued his dream run at the ATP Masters 1000 with a straight sets victory over Frenchman Gael Monfils. Both players came into the Round of 16 off the back of terrific wins, with the Spaniard destroying compatriot Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2 6-0, whilst Monfils stunned temporary number one Daniil Medvedev. In reaching the quarter finals, Alcaraz not only achieves a personal milestone of making his first ATP Masters 1000 last eight, but also became the youngest player to achieve the feat at Indian Wells since Michael Chang in 1989.
“It means a lot to me,” Alcaraz said post-match. “It’s really special to be in the quarter-finals in a Masters 1000. I’m really proud of the level that I’m playing this tournament. I love this tournament and being in the quarter-finals here is pretty good.”
The Spanish young gun entered the tournament as world number 19, and has already moved up two spots. Alcaraz can slide into 15th in the world with a quarter finals in over reigning champion, Cameron Norrie. If the teenager can somehow go all the way at the event, he will be the new world number 13. Though he lost, Monfils boosted his ranking to 24th in the world.
MEN’S ROUND OF 16 RESULTS:
[4] Rafael Nadal (ESP) defeated [17] Reilly Opelka (USA) 7-6 7-6
Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) defeated [6] Matteo Berrettini (ITA) 6-3 6-7 6-4
[7] Andrey Rublev (-) defeated [11] Hubert Hurkacz (POL) 7-6 6-4
[WC] Nick Kyrgios (AUS) defeated [10] Jannik Sinner (ITA) W/O
[12] Cameron Norrie (GBR) defeated Jenson Brooksby (USA) 6-2 6-4
[19] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) defeated [26] Gael Monfils (FRA) 7-5 6-1
[20] Taylor Fritz (USA) defeated [29] Alex de Minaur (AUS) 3-6 6-4 7-6
Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) defeated [23] John Isner (USA) 6-3 7-6
Osaka eases into Madrid second round
JAPANESE Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka made it through to the second round of the 2024 Madrid Open overnight with a dominant 79-minute win over Belgian lucky loser, Greet Minnen. The former world number one is still returning to the WTA Tour, but gained her first clay court win in two years at the WTA […]
Wildcard Eala upsets former top 30 player in Madrid
SHE might be her nation’s only ranked player, but Phillipines’ Alexandra Eala showed she can punch above her weight with the world number 170 getting the job done against former top 30 player, Lesia Tsurenko, at the Madrid Open. The 18-year-old talent came back from a set down on Arantxa Sanchez Stadium to post a […]
Tsitsipas’ triple treat in Monte Carlo
GREEK star Stefanos Tsitsipas has won his third Monte Carlo Masters, getting past fellow clay court talent Casper Ruud in the final. The decider on Court Rainier III lasted 97 minutes, with the 12th seed winning 6-1 6-4 over the eighth seeded Norwegian, adding the 2024 title to his back-to-back 2021-22 trophies. It is an […]
Monte Carlo madness: Top two ousted in semis
CLAY courts can tend to throw up some big results, and that was certainly the case in the semi-final stage of the 2024 Monte Carlo Masters. With the top two in the world, Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner heading for a memorable final, many expected the pair to face-off in the decider. The only problem? […]
Djoker quells Demon to reach Monte Carlo semis
WORLD number one Novak Djokovic proved that bit too strong for Australian Alex de Minaur, getting home in a tight two-set match at the Monte Carlo Masters. While just a couple of breaks throughout the course of the match separated the players, Djokovic was able to move to within two victories of a third clean […]
Rune wins Dimitrov slog to reach Monte Carlo quarters
WHEN you had to play your Round of 32 match earlier in the day following rain suspension from the previous day, the last thing you want is an epic struggle, but that was exactly the case for Dane Holger Rune who needed three and half hours to get past Grigor Dimitrov and reach the Monte […]
Pop goes the Rublev, as defending champ ousted by Aussie
AUSSIE Alexei Popyrin caused a massive boilover at the Monte Carlo Masters overnight, defeating top 10 star and defending champion Andrey Rublev to set up an all-Aussie third round match with Alex de Minaur. Popyrin has always shown the potential to be a top-line player, and he put it all together against the sixth seed, […]
Demon dash – Aussie races into second round
TOP-RANKED Australian Alex de Minaur was at his brutal best, making light work of Swiss Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka to reach the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters in a flurry. Needing just 63 minutes against the wildcard, de Minaur won 6-3 6-0, including the last eight games of the match. Wasting no […]
Getting his Fils: Arthur slays Hanfmann
YOUNG Frenchman Arthur Fils wasted no time in destroying his German opponent Yannick Hanfmann and making history in the process at the Monte Carlo Masters overnight. The 19-year-old Frenchman became the youngest male player from his nation to win a match at the event in almost two decades when he wiped his lucky loser opponent […]
