Indian Wells: Caroline Garcia through to face Sorana Cirstea in Last-16 after beating Leylah Fernandez

ByRob Hemingway

Updated 13/03/2023 at 23:49 GMT

Caroline Garcia came through a tough battle with Leylah Fernandez to make it into the Last-16 of Indian Wells for the first time. Garcia, who took the first set, was pegged back by Canada's Fernandez in the second, but coasted to victory in the decider, losing just one game. Garcia, seeded as high as fifth after an excellent 2022, will take on Romania's Sorana Cirstea next.

Caroline Garcia is through to face Sorana Cirstea in the Last-16 of Indian Wells after beating Leylah Fernandez in a tough three-set battle.

It will be Garcia's first-ever appearance at such an advanced stage of the tournament, and it is due reward for how high her level has been over the past year.

The Frenchwoman was fully tested against Canada's Fernandez, a fighting competitor who dug deep at various stages of the match to keep pace with her higher-ranked opponent.

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The first set went Garcia's way, but it was a tight affair with the 29-year-old breaking just once - in the third game - and holding her serve thereafter to go into the early lead.

The second set saw just one break point in its entirety, as both players largely matched each other from the baseline.

And so to a tie-break it went, with Fernandez taking a 5-3 lead which ultimately proved insurmountable for Garcia, the Canadian taking it 7-5 - and making her delight known.

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But perhaps having used up so much energy to get back into the encounter, the third set was one-sided in Garcia's favour.

Caroline Garcia of France reacts after defeating Leylah Fernandez of Canada in their third round match at the 2023 WTA Indian Wells Open in Indian Wells, California, on March 13, 2023.

Image credit: Getty Images

Fernandez held her first service game to make it 1-1, but she didn't win another game from there as her more experienced opponent broke twice to romp to victory.

Garcia will face Sorana Cirstea in the Last-16, after the Romanian got past the 28-year-old American Bernarda Pera.

Cirstea took the first set 6-3 and motored through the second, taking it 6-1 in a show of some fine ball-striking.

Also through to the Last-16 in California are Elena Rybakina and Karolina Muchova.

Rybakina, the reigning Wimbledon champion and Australian Open 2023 finalist, saw off Spain's Paula Badosa 6-3 7-5, and she will face the winner of Varvara Gracheva and Daria Kasatkina.

Muchova beat Italy's Martina Trevisan in an entertaining three-setter, 6-4 3-6 6-4, and the 26-year-old will take on either fourth seed Ons Jabeur or fellow Czech Marketa Vondrousova.

Britain's Emma Raducanu was also on court on Monday at 'Tennis Paradise', beating Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia.

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