AMERICAN wildcard Katie Volynets caused the upset of Indian Wells so far, taking down Tunisian sixth seed Ons Jabeur in straight sets. Jabeur has struggled with injury and form in 2024, and in her first match of the WTA 1000 event, was no match or the red-hot world number 131, with Volynets winning 6-4 6-4.
Volynets made her way into the second round after an impressive Round of 128 victory over Mirra Andreeva, and then needing an hour and 22 minutes to knock off Jabeur, who moved to a forgettable 2-4 record to start the 2024 season.
In the match, Volynets won 67 per cent of her first serve points off an 85 per cent clip, breaking her opponent four times to take the win. Jabeur still broke twice capitalising off Volynets’ 44 per cent second serve success rate and a few nervous moments, but once again lacked the consistency across the sets.
It looked on track for Jabeur early, breaking first and racing out to a 4-2 lead, only to lose the next four games, and the set. After going head-to-head across the early part of the second set, Volynets’ break in the seventh game – the only one for the set – was the difference, and she was able to hold out with her serve – winning 20 of 27 in that set – to secured the victory.
“I’m so honoured to have a wild card here and I’m so honoured to play Ons,” Volynets said post-match. “I’ve been watching her on TV for years so it’s just such an honour to play here on this court against such a wonderful player.
“I’m definitely pleased with how I was able to execute today,” Volynets said. “I think it was very close the entire time. She was throwing in some amazing drop shots and slices and injecting some pace. I’m glad I was able to overcome that.”
Volynets will go on to play wildcard and former number one Caroline Wozniacki who defeated Croatian Donna Vekic. Other upsets include Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber – who was still building her form back on Tour – stunning in-form 10th seed Jelena Ostapenko, and Yulia Putintseva taking out 15th seeded Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova.
WOMEN’S SINGLES ROUND OF 64 RESULTS:
[1] Iga Swiatek (POL) defeated Danielle Collins (USA) 6-3 6-0
[WC] Katie Volynets (USA) defeated [6] Ons Jabeur (TUN) 6-4 6-4
[7] Marketa Vondrousova (CEZE) defeated [Q] Bernarda Pera (USA) 6-0 6-2
Angelique Kerber (GER) defeated [10] Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) 5-7 6-3 6-3
[12] Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA) defeated [Q] Rebecca Sramkova (SVK) 7-5 6-2
[13] Jasmine Paolini (ITA) defeated Tatjana Maria (GER) 6-3 6-3
Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) defeated [15] Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS) 7-5 6-1
[17] Veronika Kudermetova (RUS) defeated [Q] Nao Hibino (JPN) 6-1 7-5
[18] Madison Keys (USA) defeated [Q] Hayley Baptiste (USA) 6-4 4-6 7-6
[21] Anna Kalinskaya (RUS) defeated [Q] Taylor Townsend (USA) 7-5 3-6 6-4
[2]] Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) defeated [Q] Nuria Parrizas Diaz (ESP) 6-3 6-1
[WC] Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) defeated [25] Donna Vekic (CRO) 7-6 6-3
[26] Linda Noskova (CZE) defeated Camila Giorgi (ITA) 6-3 7-5
[28] Anastasia Potapova (RUS) defeated Marie Bouzkova (CZE) 7-5 6-1
[31] Marta Kostyuk (UKR) defeated [Q] Mai Hontama (JPN) 6-4 6-2
[LL] Nadia Podoroska (ARG) defeated [LL] Kayla Day (USA) 7-6 6-4
In the men’s singles, results largely went to plan with just two non-seeded players defeating their higher ranked opponents in the Round of 64. Those two were Brazilian qualifier Thiago Seyboth Wild and Hungarian Fabian Marozsan.
Seyboth Wild took out Russian 15th seed Karen Khachanov in a stunning 6-1 7-5 result, while Marozsan came from behind to defeat 24th seed Chilean Nicolas Jarry, 3-6 7-5 6-4. Top seed Carloz Alcaraz had a scare early against Italian Matteo Arnaldi losing the first set in a tiebreaker, before only losing one game for the rest of the match.
American Ben Shelton also had to work hard to see off teenage Czech Jakub Mensik in a head-to-head that will underpin the future of men’s tennis. After dropping the first set, Shelton’s serve was too much for Mensik, recording a 4-6 6-3 6-4 victory.
MEN’S SINGLES ROUND OF 64 RESULTS:
[2] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) defeated Matteo Arnaldi (ITA) 6-7 6-0 6-1
[3] Jannik Sinner (ITA) defeated Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) 6-3 6-0
[5] Andrey Rublev (RUS) defeated Andy Murray (GBR) 7-6 6-1
[6] Alexander Zverev (GER) defeated Christopher O’Connell (AUS) 6-4 6-4
[10] Alex de Minaur (AUS) defeated Taro Daniel (JPN) 6-1 6-2
[11] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) defeated [Q] Lucas Pouille (FRA) 6-3 6-2
[Q] Thiago Seyboth Wild (BRA) defeated [15] Karen Khachanov (RUS) 6-1 7-5
[16] Ben Shelton (USA) defeated [WC] Jakub Mensik (CZE) 4-6 6-3 6-4
[18] Frances Tiafoe (USA) defeated Dusan Lajovic (SRB) 6-3 6-3
[20] Alexander Bublik (KAZ) defeated [Q] Juncheng Shang (CHN) 6-4 6-1
[22] Francisco Cerundolo (ARG) defeated Alexander Shevchenko (KAZ) 6-2 3-1 RET
Fabian Marozsan (HUN) defeated [24] Nicolas Jarry (CHI) 3-6 7-5 6-4
[25] Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) defeated Borna Coric (CRO) 6-7 6-2 7-6
[27] Tallon Griekspoor (NED) defeated Yannick Hanfmann (GER) 6-3 6-3
[32] Jiri Lehecka (CZE) defeated [WC] Brandon Nakashima (USA) 3-6 6-3 6-4
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