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Felix Saves 6 MPs To Stun Paul, Sets Alcaraz QF

With all eight fourth-round matches played on Tuesday at the BNP Paribas Open, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Tommy Paul might have saved the best for last. In one of two three-setters on the day — the other a thrilling win for Daniil Medvedev against Alexander Zverev — Auger-Aliassime fought off six match points to edge the American 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(6).

Next up for the eighth seed: a Thursday showdown with Carlos Alcaraz, who moved past Jack Draper via a second-set retirement earlier in the night.

With the stunning victory, Auger-Aliassime has now reached the quarter-finals at each of the past six ATP Masters 1000 events he's played, including his current run in Indian Wells. He has advanced to that stage at seven of the nine Masters 1000s on the calendar, with Monte Carlo and Shanghai the lone exceptions.

"I always stayed positive, I kept my hopes up, I kept thinking, 'OK, I'm not that far, I can come back,'" a relieved Auger-Aliassime said of his great escape against Paul. "At the end, when you're down 0/40 on your serve, you know that... 'OK if I win this first one, serve well, then again, then again, and we're back on even terms.'

"You just kind of take it one by one. It's very cliche to say but it still works; that's the proof. I'm really happy to get through. It's a crazy feeling."

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Kokkinakis Downs Lehecka At Phoenix Challenger

Main-draw action at the Phoenix Challenger got off to a roaring start Tuesday as two of the Top-5 seeds were upset in the opening round. Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis ousted Jiri Lehecka before World No. 80 Nuno Borges got past second seed Diego Schwartzman under the lights at the Arizona Tennis Classic.

Fresh off an Indian Wells clash against World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, Kokkinakis made the trip to Arizona after falling to the Spaniard. On Tuesday, the 26-year-old won 37 of 45 first serve points to defeat fifth seed Lehecka 7-6(5), 6-4.

 

“Stoked to get it done,” Kokkinakis said. “He’s going to be a very good player for years to come. He’s explosive, has a lot of firepower, very athletic. He’s playing some great tennis this year, he made the quarter-finals at the Australian Open. I had to kind of weather the storm, the conditions are very slow here. I just tried to stay patient and out grind him.”

Borges stayed consistent from the baseline and punished World No. 38 Schwartzman’s deep court positioning to earn the highest-ranked win of his career and upset the second seed 7-5, 6-3. The Portuguese No. 1, who won last month’s Monterrey Challenger, awaits the winner of Pedro Martinez and Roman Safiullin.

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Sinner Stops Stan To Reach First Indian Wells QF

Jannik Sinner broke new ground at the BNP Paribas Open Tuesday night, progressing to the quarter-finals for the first time after fourth-round runs in each of the past two years. The Italian won a big-hitting battle with Stan Wawrinka 6-1, 6-4, though the match was much closer than the score suggests.

"The scoreline is wrong today," Sinner said of its one-sided nature, alluding to Wawrinka's nine break points in the match. "I felt like we both were playing very well, long rallies, and he was getting every time very close. I got lucky a little bit there at 4-3 [in the second set] when I was serving, he [barely] missed the return.

"Things can change so quickly. I'm very happy to be in the next round but obviously it was a very, very tough match today."

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Now 15-3 on the young season, Sinner has reached the quarter-finals or better in four of his six 2023 events, including his title run in Montpellier. With perfect six-for-six record in sets this tournament, he is bidding for his eighth ATP Tour trophy and his first at the ATP Masters 1000 level. A Thursday matchup against defending champion Taylor Fritz is up next.

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Alcaraz Moves Into Indian Wells QFs After Draper Retirement

Carlos Alcaraz moved to within three victories of a return to World No. 1 after advancing to the BNP Paribas Open quarter-finals for the second straight year on Tuesday night. The Spaniard led Jack Draper 6-2, 2-0 when the Briton was forced to retire with an abdominal injury that first affected him late in his Monday win against Andy Murray.

After wishing his opponent a speedy recovery, Alcaraz gave a positive review of his performance in the 46 minutes of play on the night: "I felt the ball really well. I'm really happy with that part," he assessed. "I would say I returned well, I hit great shots. I finished the match with confidence in my shots, to come into the next round with more confidence."

The pair's second ATP Head2Head meeting started with all the fireworks of their previous matchup, which Alcaraz narrowly won in a tight third set last October in Basel. Both men produced highlight-reel shots early, but Alcaraz had more success in the routine points as he took an early 2-0 lead, escaping 0/40 in his opening service game with timely power plays.

As the match wore on, Draper's abdominal issue hampered his serve — which dropped well below 100 mph — and his movement. After a visit from the physio in between sets, he won just one point in the first two games of the second set before retiring to give Alcaraz his 101st tour-level win.

After a respectful handshake and some warm words at the net, Alcaraz wrote well-wishes on the TV camera: "Get well soon Jack!!" He will face Felix Auger-Aliassime or Tommy Paul next in his bid to return to the desert semi-finals.

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Fritz Find Trick Shot Useful In Fucsovics Indian Wells Win

Taylor Fritz won his ninth consecutive BNP Paribas Open match on Tuesday, doing so with extra flair.

The American hit a reverse serve — one with the spin of a lefty’s slice out wide in the Ad court — en route to a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Marton Fucsovics for a place in the Indian Wells quarter-finals. The fourth seed will next play 11th seed Jannik Sinner or former World No. 3 Stan Wawrinka.

“I had to kind of just fight through a lot of games. I didn’t really at times have an answer for it, so I just had to tough it out and get points where I could," Fritz said. "I was just able to find a way through."

Fritz battled through a 22-point game at 2-0 in the second set, finishing it off with a point he started using the reverse serve. The home favourite did not use the trick shot to entertain the crowd, though. Fritz was desperately searching for ways to discomfort his Hungarian opponent.

"That was a super, super long game we were having. I couldn't seem to win it even when I was making first serves on my game points. I felt like the balls were just super blown up and I was against the wind. Even if I hit my spot and hit a good serve I feel like he was returning it," Fritz said. "I just got to the point where I was like, 'Nothing else is working so I might as well just do my reverse serve, and maybe that will.' I was just kind of at the point where nothing else was working so I might as well try it. I ended up winning the point, so I guess it worked out."

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Norrie Sinks Rublev To Continue Winning Run

Former champion Cameron Norrie continued his love affair with the BNP Paribas Open Tuesday when he defeated Andrey Rublev 6-2, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals in Indian Wells.

The Briton lifted the biggest trophy of his career at the hard-court event in 2021 and moved to within three wins of matching that feat this week after producing one of his best performances of the season to defeat Rublev after 75 minutes.

The 10th seed absorbed Rublev’s power, redirecting the ball to find stunning angles as he pushed the sixth seed wide. Norrie converted all five of his break points, serving out the match at the second time of asking to earn his eighth consecutive win and level his ATP Head2Head series against Rublev at 2-2.

The 27-year-old lefty, who defeated World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz to lift the trophy in Rio de Janeiro last month, has now earned 21 wins in 2023, including four Top 10 victories. Norrie will continue the quest for his sixth tour-level title when he faces American Frances Tiafoe or Chilean qualifier Alejandro Tabilo in the last eight.

Rublev was aiming to improve on his 9-1 record against left handers since the start of 2022, having defeated Ugo Humbert in the third round. The 25-year-old is 11-7 on the year, with his best result a run to the final in Dubai.

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Medvedev Survives Fall, Defeats Zverev In Indian Wells

Down but not out, Daniil Medvedev extended his red-hot winning streak to 17 matches Tuesday when he recovered from a heavy fall to defeat Alexander Zverev at the BNP Paribas Open.

The fifth seed took a tumble when moving out wide at 2-3 in the second set, yelping in pain as he rolled his right ankle. However, after having his ankle taped, he continued and turned the match around, capturing victory on his second match point to earn a statement 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 7-5 victory against the 12th-seeded German.

"When I twisted [my ankle], I thought I was going to stand up just fine," Medvedev said. "But then the pain started growing very fast, so I was like 'That is not a good sign.' I felt like I didn't break it but I felt that one of the ligaments was a little injured, so I thought I wasn't going to be able to play. It was one of the first times in my life that the physio had taped my ankle, so I decided to give it a try. What was surprising was it was much easier to run than walk. So when I was walking I was limping and then I was running fine.

"When the adrenaline goes down, it will be pretty painful, so I am going to probably do a scan to see what it is and if I can continue to play."


Photo Credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour

Daniil Medvedev takes time out after an ankle injury as Alexander Zverev looks on.
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Shang, Thiem Among Miami Wild Cards

The Miami Open presented by Itau announced that Zizou Bergs, Taro Daniel, Emilio Nava and Shang Juncheng will join Dominic Thiem as main draw wild cards at the season’s second ATP Masters 1000 event.

The most in-form player of the group is Daniel, who advanced to the quarter-finals in Acapulco as a qualifier before qualifying in Indian Wells and reaching the third round behind an upset of 20th seed Matteo Berrettini.

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Nava and Shang competed in the Miami main draw last year, losing in the first round. Bergs will make his Masters 1000 debut.

Thiem will return to Miami for the first time since 2019. The Austrian owns a 7-5 record at the tournament, where he advanced to the quarter-finals in 2015.

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How to Hit a Kick Serve

A kick serve is a type of tennis serve that involves a lot of topspin, causing the ball to bounce high and kick up off the court. Here are the steps to hit a kick serve: Start with a continental grip. This grip involves placing the base knuckle of your index finger on the third bevel of the tennis racket, which allows for a good wrist snap on the s...


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Alcaraz Takes On Draper, Medvedev-Zverev Rivalry Resumes In Indian Wells

All eight quarter-final spots are up for grabs on Tuesday in Indian Wells, where the 16 remaining players in the draw seek fourth-round success on an action-packed day at the 2023 BNP Paribas Open.

Top seed Carlos Alcaraz continues his campaign at the opening ATP Masters 1000 event of the year — and his bid to return to No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings — against big-hitting lefty Jack Draper. Daniil Medvedev seeks to extend his 16-match winning streak in a heavyweight clash against Alexander Zverev, while 11th seed Jannik Sinner faces a rejuvenated Stan Wawrinka.

With Top 10 stars Taylor Fritz, Andrey Rublev and Felix Auger-Aliassime also in fourth-round action, ATPTour.com previews a mouth-watering Day 7 in the California desert.

View Singles Draw | View Doubles Draw | View Schedule

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Gonzalez/Roger-Vasselin Save 2 MPs To Upset Mektic/Pavic

Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin saved two match points and 11 of 12 break points to pull off an upset against fourth seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic on Monday at the BNP Paribas Open.

In a 6-7(8), 7-6(5), 11-9 victory, the Mexican-French duo erased those match points at 5-6 in the second set, then overcame a 6/8 deficit in the Match Tie-break to advance to the Indian Wells quarter-finals. They will next take on Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara on Wednesday, after the fifth seeds beat Americans Marcos Giron and J.J. Wolf 6-2, 6-3.

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Rounding out Monday's doubles action at the ATP Masters 1000, Italians Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini came from behind to score a 1-6, 6-3, 10-5 win against the American duo of Austin Krajicek and Mackenzie McDonald.

Bolelli/Fognini face defending and two-time desert champions John Isner and Jack Sock in Wednesday's quarter-finals.

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Alcaraz Earns 100th Win To Reach Indian Wells Fourth Round

Carlos Alcaraz had to work hard for his victory against Tallon Griekspoor Monday night at the BNP Paribas Open, but his reward made the late evening shift well worth it. With a 7-6(4), 6-3 result, the 19-year-old secured a milestone moment in his young career by notching his 100th tour-level win.

Now with a 100-32 record, Alcaraz needed the second-fewest matches to hit the century mark among the 28 World No. 1s in the history of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, behind only John McEnroe, who did it in one match fewer.

While the Spaniard will have his sights set on bigger goals this week — namely, winning the Indian Wells title and returning to World No. 1 — he took a moment to address his latest achievement post-match.

"I'm really proud to get my 100th win on the ATP Tour and I hope it's the first 100 of many," said Alcaraz, who beat his own internal clock to reach the milestone. "Honestly, I searched that stat today, [but] I didn't know. I thought it was in the next round," he admitted through a smile.

Alcaraz won a closely contested opening set, raising his level in the tie-break after the aggressive Griekspoor matched him shot for shot to that point. While the Spaniard did not consistently hit the heights of his opening-round win against Thanasi Kokkinakis, he still produced plenty of show-stopping winners, complete with his usual complement of drop shots.

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7 Key Matches In Alcaraz's Fast Path To 100 Wins

Carlos Alcaraz’s victory against Tallon Griekspoor on Monday at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells was his 100th tour-level win, and the Spaniard’s rapid progression to that milestone places him in prestigious company.

With his 100-32 tour-level record, the 19-year-old Alcaraz has earned second place on the list of fewest matches to 100 wins among players to reach No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings at some stage during their career. Only American great John McEnroe (100-31) reached his century faster than Alcaraz, who sits above Andre Agassi (100-35), Rafael Nadal (100-37), and Mats Wilander/Jimmy Connors (both 100-38) on the list.

To celebrate his achievement, ATPTour.com looks at some of Alcaraz’s most memorable victories from his journey to 100.

Win No. 1: ‘I Will Remember Rio Forever’
The 16-year-old Alcaraz announced himself on the ATP Tour in spectacular fashion at the 2020 Rio Open presented by Claro, where he battled past his countryman Albert Ramos-Vinolas for victory on his ATP Tour main-draw debut.

Then No. 406 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Alcaraz prevailed 7-6(2), 4-6, 7-6(2) in a first-round epic that finished at 3am local time in Rio de Janeiro. "I will remember Rio forever," he later said. "I am very happy to win my first ATP Tour match… There were quite difficult conditions, but if you have the right attitude, the conditions don't matter. You can achieve anything."

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Kovacevic, Hijikata Advance In Phoenix Challenger Qualies

Down a set-and-a-break, American Aleksandar Kovacevic rallied to stay alive in the Arizona Tennis Classic qualifying.

The 24-year-old earned a hard-fought 6-7(12), 7-6(6), 6-2 victory on Monday against Frenchman Geoffrey Blancaneaux after three hours, 10 minutes.

In the opening set tie-break, World No. 155 Blancaneaux fended off Kovacevic’s two set points before converting his eighth set point. The Frenchman then served for the match at 5-4 in the second set but Kovacevic increased his level to advance to the second round of qualifying at the Phoenix Challenger.

 

“Sometimes when you’re in those situations, a guy serving for the match, it’s kind of freeing, you’re thinking ‘I might as well go out swinging!’” Kovacevic said post-match. “If I was going to lose, I wanted to lose the right way, which is playing my game and being aggressive.

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Draper Wins First Murray Meeting To Extend Indian Wells Debut Run

Jack Draper was starstruck the first few times he met Andy Murray, but the 21-year-old Briton showcased star power of his own Monday night with a classy performance against his countryman at the BNP Paribas Open.

Draper won the pair's first ATP Head2Head meeting 7-6(6), 6-2 for his second straight victory against a fellow Briton in Indian Wells, having beaten Daniel Evans in the second round. He saved a set point with an ace at 5-6 in the opening set, then rattled off the final four games to seal a famous result, clinching it on a double fault for his third break of the match.

"I've looked up to Andy since I was so young. I watched him win Wimbledon for the first time in 2013 and then I've had the opportunity to get to know him and practise with him often since 2019," the 6-foot-4 lefty said post-match. "He's a really special person, a great champion, great human being and I'm privileged to play against him on this court."

In a two-hour match full of entertaining exchanges, Draper won just enough of them to claim an up-and-down opening set before driving his advantage home in the second by leaning on his lefty serve and forehand. He also attacked the net to great effect throughout, winning 18 of his 26 points from the frontcourt.

"I want to keep on trying to impose my game and use my weapons," Draper said of his ventures forward. "It's not easy in these conditions. It's quite slow tonight, the wind was a bit swirly and obviously playing against Andy, he makes it incredibly awkward for you. It's something I'm looking to improve with my coach and it's definitely starting to pay off a little bit more."

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Pressure? What Pressure? Fritz Races Into 4th Round

Taylor Fritz’s title defence at the BNP Paribas Open moved into high gear Monday when the American dropped just three games in a scorching third-round win over Sebastian Baez.

After needing to rally from a set down in Saturday’s opener against countryman Ben Shelton, Fritz dominated the World No. 35 Argentine 6-1, 6-2 to set up a fourth-round meeting with Hungarian veteran Marton Fucsovics.

Defending 1000 points this week, 25-year-old Fritz finds himself at No. 10 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, having come into the tournament at a career-high No. 5. The California native is acutely aware what’s at stake, but showed no signs of the pressure he is playing under against Baez.

“I'm trying to take it like it's any other tournament, but I'm reminded that I'm defending the title every, like, hour or so,” Fritz said with a smile. “It's tough to forget that, but I am trying to take it like how it is.”

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Fritz said that he was focussed more on the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, hoping to return to the Nitto ATP Finals after making his debut in Turin last year. “We start over at zero, the race, the race is the race. I'm just trying to have good results to put myself in the best position to end the year at the highest spot in the race.

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Rivalries: Medvedev vs. Zverev

Standing at 6’6”, Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev's attributes have helped them reach the top of the game. The pair crush serves and are good defenders, using their long levers to hang in points and turn the tables.

When facing off, Medvedev and Zverev have had tight clashes on Tour. Zverev won the first four matches of their rivalry, but Medvedev has since responded, winning five of their past six encounters. Locked at 6-6 in their ATP Head2Head series, they will meet again on Tuesday in the fourth round at the BNP Paribas Open.

"I'm sure we're going to have a lot of rallies," Medvedev said looking ahead to the clash. "It's going to come down to who makes after 20 shots, the best shot to try to put your opponent off balance, which is not easy to do here.

"He's coming back, he's playing better and better. I think he's not yet at where he was when he got injured, but every new match against a top player is an opportunity for him to bring back this level. So I'm going to have to try to play my best, and postpone it for at least [the] next tournament."

Ahead of their 13th encounter, ATPTour.com looks at three of their past blockbusters.

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Wawrinka Continues Run, Claws Past Rune In Indian Wells

Stan Wawrinka recovered from a second-set collapse against Holger Rune at the BNP Paribas Open Monday, overcoming the seventh seed 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5 to earn his 550th tour-level win and reach the fourth round at an ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time since 2020.

In a meeting between the experienced 37-year-old Wawrinka and 19-year-old young gun Rune, it was the former World No. 3 who looked set to earn a comfortable victory in Indian Wells, where he led 6-2, 5-3. However, the Swiss star squandered one match point on serve at 5-3 and a 5/2 lead in the second-set tie-break, giving the 19-year-old Rune a foothold into the match.

However, Wawrinka would not be denied, winning 85 per cent (17/20) of his first-serve points in the third set to prevail. With his two-hour, 38-minute win, he gained revenge for his defeat against Rune in Paris last year in their only previous meeting.

"I feel good," Wawrinka said. "The last 45 minutes was tough. I had the match in control, was playing well. I was putting a lot of pressure, I should have won the match way before. I started feeling nervous and hesitated a little bit. He came back in the match. He is an amazing player, a young player. But it is special to keep winning. It was important to stay there mentally because I am playing well.

"I was trying to stay calm with myself. I lost to him already in Paris. All my career I know only one way. To keep fighting, working, pushing myself and stay positive. I am super happy with the win."

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Bloodied Felix Sets Paul Meeting In Indian Wells

Felix Auger-Aliassime was left bloodied but unbeaten Monday after he caught himself with his racquet during his 7-5, 6-4 victory against Francisco Cerundolo at the BNP Paribas Open.

At 2-0 in the first set, the Canadian accidentally struck himself on the chin when returning the Argentine’s serve. The 22-year-old immediately walked to his chair where he was bandaged up before returning to court to book his spot in the fourth round after two hours and 10 minutes.

Auger-Aliassime, who defeated Pedro Martinez in his opening match, played aggressive, front-foot tennis throughout the clash. He hit through Cerundolo and overcame a late wobble when trying to serve out the match. After failing to hold at 5-2, the eighth seed eventually sealed victory at the second time of asking, converting his fifth match point to improve to 2-0 in their ATP Head2Head series.

Auger-Aliassime is chasing his first ATP Masters 1000 crown and maiden tour-level title of the season this week in California. He is up to No. 7 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings following his 10th win of the season.

The four-time tour-level champion has advanced to the quarter-finals at the past five ATP Masters 1000 events he has played and will aim to make it six when he takes on Tommy Paul. The 22-year-old is aiming to jumpstart his season in Indian Wells, after suffering early exits in Adelaide, at the Australian Open and Dubai earlier this year.

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Virtanen, Marozsan Win Challenger Titles To Reach Career-Highs

After claiming their maiden ATP Challenger Tour titles in 2022, Finland’s Otto Virtanen and Hungarian Fabian Marozsan returned to the winners’ circle this week and are both now at career-high marks in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings.

Virtanen, 21, claimed the Lugano Challenger while Marozsan won on the clay courts of Antalya, Turkey.

In Switzerland, Virtanen defeated Turkish qualifier Cem Ilkel 6-4, 7-6(5) in the final to collect the Challenger BancaStato Citta Di Lugano and climb to No. 139 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings.

 

A two-time Challenger titlist, Virtanen earned his first Challenger title this past October when he advanced through qualifying en route to winning the Bergamo Challenger.

Benoit Paire is crowned champion at the 2023 Puerto Vallarta Challenger.
Hugo Dellien collects the title at the Santiago Challenger.
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