Renowned tennis stars Naomi Osaka, Emma Raducanu, and Caroline Wozniacki all progressed to the second round of Indian Wells on Thursday. However, Venus Williams, who initially appeared to be on track for victory, suffered a loss after conceding the last 10 games to Japan’s Nao Hibino.
Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka encountered a tough start against qualifier Sara Errani, falling behind 2-1 in the first set. Nevertheless, she swiftly regained her composure, commanding the court and securing victory with a score of 6-3 6-1. Despite the initial challenge, Osaka’s powerful performance secured her a spot in the next round, where she is scheduled to face 14th seed Liudmila Samsonova.
Former U.S. Open champion Raducanu also enjoyed success, defeating Spanish qualifier Rebeka Masarova 6-2 6-3. This win sets her up for a second-round encounter with the 30th seed, Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine.
Wozniacki, a former world number one, achieved her first victory in the California desert since 2019, besting Zhu Lin with a score of 7-6(6) 6-1. She is set to face Croatian Donna Vekic, who is seeded 25th, in the next round.
Contrastingly, Williams initially appeared to be positioned for triumph before ultimately conceding the match to Hibino. The 43-year-old American had not played since last year’s U.S. Open. Additionally, Danielle Collins will face world number one Iga Swiatek in a second-round clash after a hard-fought victory against Russian qualifier Erika Andreeva.
Overall, the day at Indian Wells was filled with excitement as these formidable athletes displayed their skills on the court. Anticipate more thrilling matches as the tournament unfolds.