Jessica Pegula came back from a set down to beat Anastasia Potapova 3-6 6-4 7-5 in the third round reaching the Round of 16 at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells for the second time in her career.
Pegula rallied from a set down to beat Camila Giorgi in her first match.
Potapova earned the first break of the match in the sixth game to win the first set 6-4. Pegula went up a 3-0 lead with a break in the second game of the second set. Potapova broke back in the fifth game for 2-3. Pegula earned her second break to take a 4-2 lead, but Potapova converted her fourth break-back point for 3-4.
Pegula fended off a break point at 4-4 in the second set and won seven of the eight last points to win the second set 6-4 forcing the match to the decider.
Potapova went up a 3-1 lead with an early break in the first game of the decider. Pegula converted her fourth break-back point in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3. Both players went on serve until the 12th game when Pegula broke for the second time to close out the third set 7-5.
Pegula will take on Petra Kvitova for a spot in the quarter final.
“I think I started a little bit smarter, getting a lot of depth on my shots, everything got a little bit better. She came out playing really well and I was very frustrated. Potapova is a great player. I knew that she has been playing great. At the net I just told her ‘Congratulations’, and I think it was a respectable battle today”, said Pegula.
Sakkari overcomes Kalinina in three sets
Last year’s Indian Wells finalist Maria Sakkari overcame Anhelina Kalinina 3-6 6-2 6-4 in 2 and a half hours to reach the Round of 16 at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells for the second consecutive year.
Sakkari fought back from a set and a break down, and from a break down in the third set.
The Greek player had to come back from a set down, when she beat Shelby Rogers 2-6 6-4 6-0.
Sakkari avenged a three-set defeat in her only previous head-to-head match against Kalinina in Eastbourne last year.
Sakkari is aiming to become the first player to reach back-to-back finals at Indian Wells since Maria Sharapova reached her second consecutive BNP Paribas Open title match in 2013.
Kalinina earned an early break in the second game the first set and fended off two break points at 3-1 before holding serve with an inside-out forehand winner down the line.
Sakkari saved four set points on her serve at 5-2, but Kalinina held at love to clinch the first set 6-3.
Kalinina went up a set and a break in the third game to take a 2-1 lead. Sakkari came back by earning three breaks to win the second set 6-2.
Kalinina earned an early break to take a 2-1 lead in the third set, but Sakkari pulled back on serve to draw level to 2-2 and eased through her next service games to take a 5-4 lead. Kalinina made three double faults at deuce to face three match points. Sakkari converted her third match point with a backhand passing shot winner.
“I am making too many unforced errors from the baseline, but all that matters is that I am finding a way to win and just fighting. Winning ugly, but at the end, winning”,said Sakkari.
Sakkari will take Karolina Pliskova, who beat Veronika Kudemertova 6-1 7-5. Pliskova converted five of her six break points to level her head-to-head series with Kudemertova to 2-2. Pliskova reached two consecutive semifinals in Indian Wells in 2016 and 2017, but she is still chasing her first final in the Californian tournament.
Kudemertova served for the second set at 5-3, but Pliskova reeled off four consecutive games to clinch the second set 7-5.
Pliskova leads 3-2 in her head-head series against Sakkari and recently beat her Greek opponent 6-1 6-2 in Dubai last month.
“Pliskova, she is serving big, and she likes to hit the ball hard. I had to reducemy unforced errors. That won’t be accepted against her. Just be as solid as I can, because that’s something that’s going to give me a chance to win. Otherwise she’s gonna dominate and she’s gonna take advantage of it”, said Sakkari.
