In a day of mixed fortunes at Indian Wells, Grand Slam champions Naomi Osaka, Emma Raducanu, and Caroline Wozniacki secured victories to progress to the second round, while Venus Williams faced an unexpected upset.
Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, overcame a tricky start against qualifier Sara Errani. After falling behind 2-1 in the first set, Osaka found her rhythm, winning 10 of the final 11 games to secure a 6-3, 6-1 victory. Reflecting on the match, Osaka admitted the challenging conditions but expressed satisfaction with her performance. The Japanese player, who received a wildcard for the event she won in 2018, will face 14th seed Liudmila Samsonova in the next round.
British sensation Emma Raducanu continued her impressive return to action, defeating Spanish qualifier Rebeka Masarova 6-2, 6-3. Raducanu, playing in her fifth tournament since January after recovering from wrist and ankle surgeries, set up a second-round clash with 30th seed Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine. Despite eight double faults, Raducanu’s six breaks of serve secured her victory.
Caroline Wozniacki, the former U.S. Open champion, secured her first win in Indian Wells since 2019 by defeating Zhu Lin 7-6(6), 6-1. The match, which began on Wednesday but was interrupted by rain, saw Wozniacki making a successful comeback. The Danish player, who returned to the tour last year after taking a break in 2020 to start a family, will face the 25th seed, Donna Vekic, in the next round.
In a surprising turn of events, seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams appeared poised for victory, leading 6-2, 3-2 before Japan’s Nao Hibino orchestrated a comeback, winning 2-6, 6-3, 6-0. Williams, aged 43, had not played since her early exit from the U.S. Open last year.
The upcoming rounds promise exciting matchups, with Danielle Collins set to face world number one Iga Swiatek. Collins, who declared that this would be her last season on the WTA Tour, showcased her trademark competitiveness in a hard-fought victory against Russian qualifier Erika Andreeva. Despite being 5-3 down in the first set and saving two set points in the second, Collins emerged victorious, setting the stage for a highly anticipated clash with Swiatek. Collins, at 30, emphasized her unwavering competitive spirit, describing it as “animal mode from the moment I walk in.”
