Jack Draper secured a spot in the quarter-finals of the BNP Paribas Open with an impressive straight-sets victory over third seed Taylor Fritz. A dominant stretch of seven successive games from late in the first set turned the tide in his favor, and despite a brief stumble near the finish line, Draper sealed the win 7-5, 6-4.
The match began with both players holding serve comfortably, with neither facing a break point in the first ten games. However, in the 11th game, Draper seized his opportunity and converted his only break point of the set. He then served out confidently to take the opener 7-5.
Buoyed by that breakthrough, the British No 1 carried his momentum into the second set, breaking Fritz twice in quick succession to establish a commanding 4-0 lead. His aggressive play and composure under pressure kept the American on the back foot throughout much of the contest.
There was a late twist when Draper faltered while serving for the match at 5-2, conceding a break after a double fault. However, he quickly regained his composure and sealed victory on his second attempt, with two powerful aces helping him cross the finish line.
Reflecting on his performance, Draper described it as his best match at Indian Wells in the three years he has played there. He credited his bravery in key moments and acknowledged the quality of his opponent. The win sets up a quarter-final clash with 11th seed Ben Shelton, who defeated fellow American Brandon Nakashima 7-6, 6-1.
In the women’s draw, Sonay Kartal’s run came to an end in the last 16, as she fell 6-1, 6-2 to world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Kartal had entered the main draw as a lucky loser after Sloane Stephens withdrew, making the most of the opportunity by securing a win over Polina Kudermetova in the previous round. However, her challenge against the top seed proved too steep.
Despite breaking Sabalenka in the opening game, Kartal was quickly overpowered as the world No 1 settled into her rhythm, dictating play with her trademark aggression. Sabalenka’s commanding win sets up a quarter-final encounter with Liudmila Samsonova, who defeated sixth seed Jasmine Paolini 6-0, 6-4.
Elsewhere, wildcard Belinda Bencic advanced to the quarter-finals with a hard-fought victory over third seed Coco Gauff. After dropping the first set 3-6, Bencic mounted a comeback, taking the next two sets 6-3, 6-4. The Swiss player’s resilience and shot-making helped her turn the match around against the young American star.
Bencic will now face Australian Open champion Madison Keys in the next round. Keys, who has been in strong form, battled past Donna Vekic in a three-set thriller, coming from behind to win 4-6, 7-6, 6-3.
With the competition heating up in both draws, the upcoming quarter-final matchups promise to deliver more high-intensity tennis as players look to secure their places in the final rounds of the prestigious tournament.
