In a display of dominance, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner secured straight-sets victories to advance to the quarterfinals of the Indian Wells tournament on Tuesday. Alcaraz avenged his previous loss to Fabian Marozsan at the Italian Open with a commanding 6-3, 6-3 win, while Sinner extended his winning streak to 18 matches by defeating Ben Shelton 7-6(4), 6-1.
Alcaraz, the second-seeded Spaniard, showed no signs of trouble against Marozsan, confidently holding serve and pounding forehands to secure the win. The victory marked Alcaraz’s 50th match win at a Masters 1000 event and propelled him further in his title defense at Indian Wells.
Reflecting on the match, Alcaraz admitted to feeling nervous before facing Marozsan, who had previously beaten him in Rome last May. However, the Spaniard showcased a clinical performance, starting well and playing his style from the beginning. With this win, Alcaraz is now set for a potential clash with Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals.
Sinner faced American Ben Shelton in windy conditions but managed to secure a tight first set with a 7-6(4) win. The second set saw little resistance from Shelton, allowing Sinner to cruise to a 6-1 victory. Sinner maintained his perfect record in 2024 and expressed his satisfaction with staying positive during tough moments in the match.
Looking ahead, Sinner is the favorite in the quarterfinals as he faces Jiri Lehecka for the first time. Lehecka, seeded 32nd, continued his impressive run by defeating 11th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas with a dominant 6-2, 6-4 performance. The 22-year-old Czech has not dropped serve in his last two matches and is set to challenge Sinner for a spot in the semi-finals.
The Indian Wells tournament promises exciting matchups as top players vie for supremacy in the prestigious Masters 1000 event.
