One half of the BNP Paribas Open’s own final four is set, as Linda Noskova and Aryna Sabalenka will do battle after prevailing in quarterfinal matchups Thursday at Indian Wells, Calif.
The world’s No. 1 player, Sabalenka shook off a slow start to down Canada’s Victoria Mboko 7-6 (0), 6-4 in 109 minutes. It was Sabalenka’s second win this season over Mboko, after the two squared off in the Australian Open in January.
Though she showed a notable advantage on service points, winning 68% to Mboko’s 61%, Sabalenka credited her success on break points (5-for-5 on saves) for the victory.
“I feel like the moment (when) I will feel relaxed, I will definitely start losing. So I felt that’s why I have been really successful in those tiebreaks, because I take it really serious,” Sabalenka said. “I’m not focusing on the past. I’m just trying to take it once again one point at a time.”
A two-time runner-up at this event, Sabalenka of Belarus next faces The Czech Republic’s Noskova.
Noskova, ranked 14th, also had to work for her win, edging Australia’s Talia Gibson 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 in 97 minutes.
After a first set that went by the script for the most part, Noskova ran into trouble in the second, as neither player could shake free of the other holding serve. Gibson used a first-game break to establish the early edge, then rode that to the second set win.
Noskova used three aces to regain control in the third.
Sabalenka won her only meeting with Noskova, 6-3, 7-6 (4), at the 2023 Adelaide International final.
In a matchup between the world’s Nos. 9 and 2 players, Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina battles Poland’s Iga Swiatek for a spot in the other semifinal later in the day. That winner will face Jessica Pegula (No. 5) or Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina (No. 3), who also face off in late Thursday action.
–Field Level Media
