WTA Indian Wells Round-Up Day Three | Sabalenka and Gauff advance comfortably as Eala stuns Yastremska in late thriller

Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff progressed safely into the third round at Indian Wells, while Alexandra Eala delivered one of the most dramatic victories of the day with a late-night comeback against Dayana Yastremska.

Naomi Osaka also marked her return with a composed win, while Emma Raducanu and Amanda Anisimova advanced after strong performances. Several seeds navigated tricky matches as the tournament moved deeper into the second round.

The day combined dominant displays with dramatic momentum swings across the draw. Sabalenka’s first appearance since the Australian Open final ended with a routine victory, while Gauff survived a tense second set despite struggling on serve.

Osaka continued her comeback season with another confident performance, Raducanu looked comfortable in her first match working again with coach Mark Petchey, and Eala produced a thrilling late victory to set up a high-profile clash with Gauff.

Aryna Sabalenka returned to competition with a controlled straight-sets victory over Japan’s Himeno Sakatsume. Playing her first match since finishing runner-up at the Australian Open, the world No. 1 initially faced a competitive opening set as Sakatsume managed to stay close during the early exchanges.

Sabalenka gradually established control behind her serve and powerful groundstrokes. The Belarusian secured the decisive break late in the first set to move ahead 6-4 before asserting herself more clearly in the second. Two breaks of serve quickly opened a comfortable advantage as Sabalenka dictated play from the baseline and prevented her opponent from building sustained pressure.

The top seed was particularly dominant behind her serve. Sabalenka landed 85 percent of first serves and won 83 percent of those points, never facing a break point throughout the match. With the victory, she moves into the third round where she will face Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian.

Coco Gauff advanced in straight sets but was forced to navigate a difficult second set against qualifier Kamilla Rakhimova. The fourth seed initially looked comfortable, securing a double break early in the match to claim the opening set 6-3 and take a 2-0 lead in the second.

Momentum shifted quickly as Rakhimova raised her level and capitalised on a drop in Gauff’s serving consistency. The Russian won five consecutive games to move ahead, taking advantage of several double faults from the American. Gauff ultimately finished the match with 10 double faults, seven of them coming in the second set.

Despite the inconsistency, the American managed the key moments effectively. After forcing a tie-break, Gauff regained composure and played a more controlled sequence of points to close out the match. The victory keeps the fourth seed firmly on course as she continues her campaign in front of the home crowd.

Naomi Osaka delivered a composed performance to defeat Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva and move into the third round. The four-time Grand Slam champion made a strong start, racing to a 4-0 lead in the opening set while winning every service point during the early games.

The Andorran responded with an impressive recovery, saving several set points and drawing level at 5-5. Osaka, however, quickly regained control with a break in the 11th game before serving out the set. That momentum carried into the second set, where the Japanese star took command with aggressive returning and controlled service games.

Two consecutive breaks allowed Osaka to build a decisive lead. The 2018 Indian Wells champion closed the match with a run of five straight games, showcasing her experience in the key moments. Osaka advances to the third round where she will meet Colombia’s Camila Osorio.

Emma Raducanu produced one of her most convincing performances of the season, defeating Anastasia Zakharova in straight sets. The former US Open champion looked comfortable from the opening games, using consistent depth from the baseline to control rallies and apply pressure on return.

Raducanu secured multiple breaks early in the match and quickly established a commanding lead in the opening set. Her serving proved reliable throughout the contest, allowing her to maintain control even when Zakharova attempted to extend rallies.

The British player’s returning also proved decisive. Raducanu won 50 percent of points on Zakharova’s first serve and 67 percent on the second, regularly forcing the Russian onto the defensive. The win marks a positive step as Raducanu continues working again with coach Mark Petchey and builds momentum in the early stages of the tournament.

Amanda Anisimova produced a dramatic turnaround to defeat Anna Blinkova after dropping the opening set. Blinkova initially looked in control of the match, capitalising on a hesitant start from the American and securing the first set with a late break.

The momentum changed rapidly in the second set as Anisimova began striking the ball more aggressively and dictating rallies from the baseline. The American broke early and maintained constant pressure on return, allowing her to level the match comfortably with a 6-1 set.

The final set proved entirely one-sided. Anisimova dominated from the first game, winning 76 percent of points in the set and not allowing Blinkova to gain any foothold in the match. The 24-year-old closed out the contest with a 6-0 set to complete one of the most emphatic comebacks of the session. She now advances to a third-round meeting with Emma Raducanu.

Alexandra Eala produced one of the most dramatic victories of the session, defeating Dayana Yastremska in a tense final-set tie-break. The 20-year-old Filipina claimed the opening set after securing a late break in a tightly contested battle that remained close throughout the early exchanges.

Yastremska responded strongly in the second set, managing the decisive moments better on serve to level the match and force a decider. The final set evolved into a tense contest of momentum swings, with both players holding serve under increasing pressure before a late exchange of breaks pushed the match into a tie-break.

Eala ultimately held her nerve in the closing moments. After Yastremska saved two match points to force the breaker, the Filipina stayed composed and capitalised on errors from the Ukrainian to seal the victory on her fourth match point after a dramatic final game. The win sends Eala into the third round, where she will face fourth seed Coco Gauff in one of the most intriguing matchups of the next stage.