Caroline Garcia came back from one break down in the final set to beat Dayana Yastremska 6-4 6-7 (8-10) 7-5 in 2 hours and 27 minutes on Day one of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. Garcia won for the first in her three head-to-head matches against Yastremska.
Garcia, who reached the semifinals in Lyon last week, went up a 6-4 3-1 lead and had a point for 4-1.
Yastremska broke back from 0-40 down in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3 and saved two break points at 5-5.
Yastremska saved two break points in the 11th game to hold serve at deuce. Yastremska forced a third set after saving two match points at 6-5 7-6.
Yastremska earned a break in the fifth game to take a 4-2 lead and had two points for 5-3 in the third set. Garcia broke back in the eighth game to draw level to 4-4 and sealed the win with her second break in the 12th game to seal the third set 7-5.
“I am definitely pleased with the way I fought today and I stayed very positive every game. Having match points in the second set was really tough, but sheplayed really well. Dayana is an amazing fighter. Every time she is behind, she is playing her best tennis”, said Garcia.
Beatriz Haddad Maia upset 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin 6-3 7-5. Haddad Maia, who beat Karolina Pliskova in last year’s edition at Indian Wells, went up a double break in the third and seventh games to take a 5-2 lead. Kenin pulled one break back in the eighth game for 3-5, but Haddad Maia sealed the first set 6-3 with her third break in the ninth game. Kenin went up a 2-0 lead in the second set, but Haddad Maia won four consecutive games with two breaks in the fourth and sixth games to take a 4-2 lead. The Brazilian player was non able to convert a match point in the 10th game, but she sealed the win with a break in the 12th game.
“It’s always nice to be here. The first round is always a tough match. Sofia is a great player and a Grand Slam champion. I didn’t play my best tennis but I tried to compete every single point”, said Haddad Maia.
Estonian 36-year-old veteran Kaia Kanepi beat US Open girls’ singles and doubles champion Robin Montgomery 6-3 6-3 in 71 minutes. Kanepi made 10 double faults and won 48% of her first serves, but she broke six times.
Kanepi set up a second round match against last year’s Olympic champion Belinda Bencic.
“I expected a tough match because I knew she is serving and hitting hard, and I had to be ready for that. The game was quite good for a first-round match, except the second serve sometimes”, said Kanepi.
Katie Volynets rallied from one set down to beat Aranxta Rus 4-6 6-4 6-1 winning her first main draw match in just over two years. Volynets will face a second round match against 2018 Indian Wells finalist Daria Kasatkina.
Claire Liu overcame Viktoriya Tomova 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 to set up a second round match against Coco Gauff.
Ann Li saved two match points on serve in the 12th game of the second set in her 1-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-0 win over Madison Brengle. Ekaterina Alexandrova came back from one set down to beat US wild card Elvina Kalieva 2-6 6-2 7-6 (9-7).
