Aryna Sabalenka became the first semifinalist at the 2023 Indian Wells after defeating Coco Gauff.
The two highly-seeded players met in an anticipated quarterfinal match. Previously, Gauff and Sabalenka clashed four times, with the teenager winning three of the matches. But now, the situation is different as the Belarusian is the highest-ranked player in the 2023 WTA Race and only one player stopped her this year.
But Gauff also played well prior to the quarterfinal match, and in the fourth round, she heroically came back against Rebecca Peterson in a match that certainly boosted her confidence ahead of the quarterfinals.
But the young American didn't start well against Sabalenka. She got broken in the very first game and as she couldn't find an answer for the rest of the set, the world no. 2 won it 6-4 to sprint into a one-set lead.
Gauff needed to respond in the second set, but she just couldn't find her rhythm. The teenager was broken at the start once again, but this time, she couldn't win almost any points against her opponent.
On her serve, the American won only five rallies as she hit only 39% of her first serves in. On the other hand, Sabalenka was 100% after her first service and those were the main metrics that reflected the fact that the second set was won 6-0 by Sabalenka.
After an hour and five minutes, the reigning Australian Open champion advanced to the semifinals where she awaits winner of the match between Maria Sakkari and Petra Kvitova.
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