INDIAN WELLS: Victoria Azarenka barely broke a sweat as the former world number one routed Slovakia’s Magdalena Rybarikova 6-0, 6-0 to reach the Indian Wells semi-finals on Thursday.
“I started well. I was really aggressive,” said Azarenka, who reached the Australian Open quarter-finals this year.
“The start was the key for me.”
There have been nine women’s draw double bagels in Indian Wells’ history but Sharapova was involved in the most noteworthy when she was slammed 6-0, 6-0 by Lindsay Davenport in the semi-finals of the 2005 tournament.
Sharapova did not take part this year because of a failed drug test and is awaiting a possible suspension from the WTA Tour.
It is the first double bagel in Indian Wells since 2014 when Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska hammered Annika Beck in the round of 32.
Only two of the top 12 seeds on the women’s side of the draw have reached the semi-finals -- number one Serena Williams and number three Radwanska. They will square off in the other semi-final on Friday.
Two-time winner Williams is the only other former Indian Wells champion still in contention.
Rybarikova had to take an injury time out for a right leg problem in the second set and played the remainder of the match with the injury heavily bandaged.
“She wasn’t feeling really well,” Azarenka said of her opponent.
Azarenka advances to face 18th-seeded Karolina Pliskova, who beat Azarenka in their most recent encounter last year in Brisbane, Australia.
Daria Kasatkina’s surprising run at Indian Wells came to an abrupt halt when she was humbled 6-3, 6-2 by Czech Pliskova earlier Thursday.
Canadian No. 1 Milos Raonic advanced to his second consecutive Indian Wells semi-final Thursday with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Frenchman Gael Monfils. The meeting under the lights on the main stadium court was a contrast in styles with the hard-serving Raonic overpowering the grease-lightning speed and athleticism of Monfils.
“I am happy with the way I competed, and at the end of the day what counts the most is I took care of my serve,” Raonic said. Raonic moves on to the semis where he will face world number 18 David Goffin, who surprised 10th seeded Croatian Marin Cilic on Thursday 7-6 (7/4), 6-2.
Results (x denotes seeded player):
Men:
Quarter-finals: David Goffin (BEL x15) bt Marin Cilic (CRO x10) 7-6 (7/4), 6-2
Milos Raonic (CAN x12) bt Gael Monfils (FRA) 7-5, 6-3
Women:
Quarter-finals: Karolina Pliskova (CZE x18) bt Darya Kasatkina (RUS) 6-3, 6-2
Victoria Azarenka (BLR x13) bt Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) 6-0, 6-0.
Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2016