Indian Wells: World number one Naomi Osaka powered into the fourth round at Indian Wells on Monday after a 6-4 6-2 victory over Danielle Collins.
The 21-year-old Japanese had a shaky start when she was broken early in the first set but quickly found her groove and broke the American four times and struck 29 winners to advance.
The US and Australian Open champion, who is also defending the title at Indian Wells, will next face Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic, who beat Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4 6-2.
The duo were joined in the fourth round by seven-times Grand Slam champion Venus Williams, who defeated qualifier Christina McHale 6-2 7-5.
The 38-year-old Williams, who showed her mettle in the second round where she upset world number three Petra Kvitova, will meet unseeded German Mona Barthel in the fourth round.
A sick Alexander Zverev, meanwhile, was sent packing from the BNP Paribas Open with a 6-3, 6-1 defeat by fellow German Jan-Lennard Struff in the third round at Indian Wells.
Struff saved all four break points he faced and took barely an hour to clinch his first career win over Zverev in five attempts.
“I have been sick for a week. That hasn’t changed unfortunately,” third seed Zverev told reporters. “I think I just got unlucky, got a virus somewhere and that’s how it is.” Zverev lost to Nick Kyrgios in the final of the Acapulco tournament in Mexico nine days ago.
He said his main focus was to recover for the Miami Open that starts in Florida next week.
Next up for 55th-ranked Struff will be Canadian 13th seed Milos Raonic, who had his hands full before prevailing against American qualifier Marcos Giron 4-6 6-4 6-4.
— Reuters