Swiatek, Raducanu and Sinner in the third round

(Indian Wells) In the wake of Iga Swiatek, defending champion in a great hurry, the young guard also embodied by Emma Raducanu and Jannik Sinner has made a place for herself at 3^e turn of the Indian Wells tournament on Saturday, pending the entry into the running of Carlos Alcaraz.

The world No. 1 made short work of American Claire Liu (56^e), crushed 6-0, 6-1 in just over an hour.

She won 25 of 32 runs played in the first set. And after a start barely thwarted by two double faults in the second set, she unfolded without faltering or conceding a break point.

Swiatek could have ended on a double donut, but Liu fought to save match point and honor, winning a game.

“Claire was able to take advantage of the only moment when I did not play as aggressively as I had to, but I am happy to have been able to conclude fairly quickly”, commented the 21-year-old Polish, winner of Roland-Garros and United States Open last year.

In search of a rare double in the Californian desert, which only Martina Navratilova managed in 1991 and 1992, she will then face the Canadian Bianca Andreescu (36^e), titled in 2019, or the American Peyton Stearns (126^e).

Raducanu revives

Emma Raducanu (77)^e), who triumphed at Flushing Meadows before the Polish in 2021, took the best 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 over the Polish Magda Linette (21^e)

An encouraging success for the Briton, plagued by health concerns all last year, and even at the start of the season, since she had to forfeit the Austin tournament last week due to tonsillitis .

“I am very satisfied with the way I fought. Because Magda was playing at a very high level and some things weren’t working today. But I adapted”, commented Raducanu, who will try to confirm her recovery against the Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia (13^e).

Canadian Leyla Fernandez (49^e), also aged 20, an unfortunate finalist against Raducanu at the United States Open, also joined the 3^e round by dismissing 6-2, 6-4 the American Emma Navarro (128^e).

Victoria Azarenka (14^e), winner in 2012 and 2016, was however defeated 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 by the Czech Karolina Muchova (76^e).

On the men’s side, Jannik Sinner (13^e), one of the players currently in form, winner in Montpellier and finalist in Rotterdam in February, started with a solid victory 6-3, 7-6 (7/2) against Richard Gasquet (43^e).

Wawrinka turns green again

The 36-year-old Frenchman, fifteen years his senior, broke first, but then the Italian pulled himself together, picking up the pace and showing his power.

Beautiful points were played, most often to the advantage of Sinner, who managed to line up five games, before pocketing the set on his first opportunity.

The second set was tighter, neither player conceding a single break point. It was therefore in the tiebreaker that the decision was made in favor of the more enterprising Italian.

Sinner, who never made it past 8^are in the Californian desert, will be opposed to a compatriot, Lorenzo Musetti (21^e), or another Frenchman, Adrian Mannarino (68^e).

Other qualifiers, Quebecer Félix-Auger Aliassime (10^e) and American Tommy Paul (19^e), semi-finalist at the Australian Open.

But in this batch, two veterans have not said their last word, since Andy Murray (55^e) and Stan Wawrinka (100^e), both three-time Grand Slam winners, in search of their past glory after several years marred by injuries, are still in the game.

The 35-year-old Scotsman, runner-up at Indian Wells in 2009, beat Moldova’s Radu Albot (109) 6-4, 6-3^e), this time without spending too much time on the court. The 37-year-old Swiss beat 7-6 (10/8), 6-4 Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic (26^e).