The round of 16 at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells was set Monday as the third round drew to a close with few surprises. Gauff, Sabalenka, and Sakkari all advanced in two-set matches with just enough trouble to keep them on their toes but evading the tighter threats they faced in earlier matches.
Coco Gauff defeated Lucia Bronzetti 6-2 7-6(5). The American had rushed a quick first set before the Italian’s unique style began to slow her down, both physically and in the scoreline. The young star, playing her last tournament as a teenager later told the media, “She hits the ball really flat and low and doesn’t give you a lot of speed to generate so you have to do all the generating yourself, which is something you’re not used to a lot in the women’s game because a lot of the players are power players.”
In the second set tiebreak, coach Brad Gilbert repeatedly motioned with his hands for the third seed to calm down. Asked about it later, she said “Sometimes I feel like it’s more for him than me, because I wasn’t too stressed, honestly.”
Looking ahead to a round of 16 match with Belgian Elise Mertens, the world No.3 reflected, “I think almost every time I play her is a tough match. I don’t recall any straightforward wins playing against her. Even though…
