AFP, 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.
Two-time Grand Slam winner Azarenka is also a former champion in the joint WTA and ATP Tour tournament, taking the title in 2012 when she beat Maria Sharapova.
“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.
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.
Two-time Grand Slam winner Azarenka is also a former champion in the joint WTA and ATP Tour tournament, taking the title in 2012 when she beat Maria Sharapova.
“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.
