(Indian Wells) Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski and her teammate, Brazil’s Luisa Stefani easily beat Asia Muhammad and Anna Danilina 6-1, 6-3 on Sunday in the first round of women’s doubles in Indian Wells.

Dabrowski and Stefani were particularly effective in the 61-minute clash, completing five of their seven break chances.

They also won 74.2% of their first serve points.

Meanwhile, Muhammad and Danilina double faulted four times and won just 58.1% of their first-ball runs. The two players converted only one opportunity to break.

Later Sunday, Canadians Félix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov will face Cameron Norrie and Lucas Miedler in the second round of men’s doubles.

Chilean qualifier Cristian Garin caused a big upset in the men’s draw, knocking out third-seeded Norwegian Casper Ruud in straight sets 6-4, 7-6(2), in the third round.

Garin, 97e in the world, had 39 game winners while Ruud had just 15 in addition to committing 29 unforced errors in the almost two-hour clash.

The 26-year-old Garin improved his career record to 3-1 against Ruud, a two-time Grand Slam finalist. The Chilean will now cross swords with the winner of the duel between Karen Khachanov (no 13) and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (no 23).

Germany’s Alexander Zverev, who missed the second half of the 2022 season after tearing three ligaments in his right ankle at Roland Garros, beat Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori 7-5, 1-6, 7-5. He will face Daniil Medvedev (no 5) or Ilya Ivashka.

On the women’s side, American Jessica Pegula (no. 3) came from behind for the second straight match, winning 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 over Anastasia Potapova (no. 26).

Pegula, the highest ranked American in the tournament, now awaits the winner of the match between Petra Kvitova and Jelena Ostapenko.

Greece’s Maria Sakkari (no 7) defeated Anhelina Kalinina (no 27) 3-6, 6-2, 6-4. Sakkari, who reached the final last year, advanced to the fourth round for the third time in five career appearances at this tournament. She will do battle with Karolina Pliskova or Veronika Kudermetova.

Eventually, Switzerland’s Jil Teichman advanced to the next round with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 win over Sweden’s Rebecca Peterson. She advanced to the fourth round of the tournament for the first time in her career.

Cameron Norrie gets scared but advances in 8e


PHOTO BRUNA PRADO, ASSOCIATED PRESS

Briton Cameron Norrie

Cameron Norrie, 12e world and winner of the event in 2021, advanced in 8e final, after beating 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 6-2 the Japanese Taro Daniel (103e).

The 27-year-old British left-hander has come a long way, as he trailed one set to nil and 4-1 in the second set, before making his big comeback. Until then, Daniel had been the most consistent, conceding fewer unforced errors than his opponent and thought he would pull off the same shot as in 2018, when he won their first confrontation, right here in the Californian desert, at 1er round.

But Norrie is another player now and animated by a great confidence inherited from his recent results, convincing, since he remains on a title won at the end of February in Rio De Janeiro, taking his revenge on Carlos Alcaraz who had beaten him a week earlier in the final in Buenos Aires.

Persisting to push forward, he finally adjusted his game at the best time to catch up, winning the run on 15 of his 21 volleys in the second set.

And in the third heat, he went it alone to finish in 3:41.

Norrie will face Russian Andrey Rublev (7e) or the Frenchman Ugo Humbert (77e) in the next round.

France Media Agency