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World's top two Osaka and Halep beaten at Indian Wells

  • Posted: Mar 13, 2019

World number one Naomi Osaka’s defence of her Indian Wells title was ended in round four by Belinda Bencic.

Japan’s Osaka, who holds the US Open and Australian Open titles, was beaten 6-3 6-1 by the Swiss world number 23 in just over an hour.

World number two Simona Halep or Romania is also out, beaten 6-2 3-6 6-2 by Czech teenager Marketa Vondrousova.

It was a first win over a top-five player for the 19 year old, who is ranked 61st in the world.

  • Djokovic out in Indian Wells third round
  • Live scores, schedule and results

Halep’s defeat in California means 21-year-old Osaka, who claimed her first WTA title with victory at Indian Wells last year, will keep her number one ranking, despite losing to 22-year-old Bencic.

“I didn’t play that well,” Osaka said. “Honestly, at a time like this with that scoreline, I would usually feel very depressed and sad.

“But I feel pretty good right now because I tried my best and I don’t really have any regrets.

“She was just playing so well. There wasn’t anything that I could do in that situation.”

Bencic, who beat four top-10 players on the way winning a title in Dubai last month, faces world number five Karolina Pliskova, who beat Anett Kontaveit 7-6 (7-0) 4-6 6-2, in the quarter-finals.

“I’m very confident with my game right now. I’m hitting the ball well. So just things worked out for me,” said Bencic.

Vondrousova had defeated 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko and last year’s Indian Wells finalist Daria Kasatkina prior to beating Halep.

“I was running a lot – I felt like I was dying for a moment,” Vondrousova joked in an on-court interview.

“I’m so happy to be through and so happy with my play.”

She will play Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, who beat Australian Ashleigh Barty 7-6 (10-8) 5-7 6-4, in the next round.

Vondrousova served for the match at 5-1 in the third set but was broken to 15, before breaking back in a scrappy game from Halep to seal the win.

French Open champion Halep, who is still without a permanent coach, has not won a WTA title since the Canadian Open in August.

Canada’s Bianca Andreescu, 18, continued her remarkable season with a 7-5 6-2 win over China’s Wang Qiang.

Andreescu, who beat Caroline Wozniacki and Venus Williams on her way to the Auckland Open final in January, has won 23 and lost just three matches this year.

She will play Spain’s Garbine Muguruza next, after the former world number one beat Kiki Bertens 5-7 6-1 6-4.

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Djokovic out in Indian Wells as Edmund wins

  • Posted: Mar 13, 2019

World number one Novak Djokovic was knocked out of the BNP Paribas Open in the third round by Philipp Kohlschreiber at Indian Wells.

The Serb, who currently holds three of the four Grand Slam titles, was beaten 6-4 6-4 by the German world number 39.

Djokovic broke his racquet in anger after Kohlschreiber – who had lost his past seven matches against the 31-year-old – took the first set.

Britain’s Kyle Edmund beat Radu Albot 6-3 6-3 to reach the last 16.

He will face either Roger Federer or Stan Wawrinka next with the Swiss pair meeting in Tuesday’s night session in California.

The match between Djokovic and Kohlschreiber began on Monday but was delayed until Tuesday because of heavy rain.

Kohlschreiber won 72% of first-serve points and saved four of five break points as he closed out victory.

He will play French 18th seed Gael Monfils in the fourth round.

  • Halep beaten by teenager Vondrousova in Indian Wells
  • Live scores, schedule and results

Second seed Rafael Nadal reached the fourth round with a 6-1 6-4 win over Diego Schwartzman.

Nadal, a three-time champion at Indian Wells, did not face a break point in the match.

He will play Serbia’s Filip Krajinovic next after Krajinovic, ranked 113, beat 15th seed Daniil Medvedev 6-3 6-2.

Elsewhere, Canadian 19-year-old Denis Shapovalov rapped on court in his post-match interview after beating Croatian 10th seed seed Marin Cilic.

Shapovalov, seeded 24th at Indian Wells, beat the 2014 US Open champion 6-4 6-2 and will play Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz next.

Hurzack, ranked 67 in the world, fought back to beat Japanese sixth seed Kei Nishikori 4-6 6-4 6-3.

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Read & Watch: Shapovalov Raps On Court In Indian Wells

  • Posted: Mar 13, 2019

Read & Watch: Shapovalov Raps On Court In Indian Wells

#NextGenATP Canadian has fun in front of packed stadium

A bet’s a bet, even if you’re one of the best #NextGenATP players on the ATP Tour and you’ve reached the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open.

After Denis Shapovalov beat Steve Johnson on Sunday, he agreed with Stadium 3 emcee Blair Henley that, if he won again on Stadium 3, he’d rap after the match. Shapovalov has posted videos online of himself rapping and says the hobby helps him relax and take his mind off tennis. 

On Tuesday, he beat Marin Cilic to reach the fourth round, and Henley compelled him to make good on their agreement.

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Are you regretting that decision,” she asked him.

Definitely not ready, but I’ll give it a go,” Shapovalov said to a cheering crowd.

The stadium team cued up the music, and Shapovalov, who had prepared lyrics in advance, tried to go off memory. “I’m in Cali with my fans gettin’ hella lit… happy with the win today,” he said, before laughing and losing his train of thought.

A couple false starts later and some nerves – “Way too much pressure!” he shouted – had the 19-year-old searching for his phone, which helped him officially launch his rap career at an ATP Masters 1000 event.

I’m here in Cali with the fans gettin’ hella lit. Happy with the win today, now I gotta float a spit. Lovin’ the support, I leave it all on the court. Fightin’ like a wolf, I’ll be back for more so take care and good night. Know that it’s the good life… Thursday we back, ight!?”

The crowd roared with approval. Friend and rival Aussie Nick Kyrgios, however, was not as impressed.

But Shapovalov, who is into his first Indian Wells fourth round, doesn’t seem to mind what anyone thinks about his hobby.

That was fun. That was cool… It’s just a fun little part of me,” Shapovalov said in his post-match press conference.

I don’t mind ever rapping, but it’s just, it wasn’t easy after the match to find my thoughts, find the lyrics. I remember we were talking after my second-round match, and we just said, prepare something in case I win today.

So I wrote down a couple of things, took me two, three minutes. Didn’t actually look at it until after the match today. So I was like, ‘Oh, my God, what are the lyrics again? What are the words?’”

He almost seemed more at ease during his 6-4, 6-2 rout of No. 11 Marin Cilic. Shapovalov, the 24th seed, saved both break points and will face Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz on Wednesday for a place in the quarter-finals at the season’s first Masters 1000.

View Indian Wells Draw

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