Former world number one Victoria Azarenka took advantage of an error-prone display by Serena Williams to win her second BNP Paribas Open title with a 6-4, 6-4 victory in the final at Indian Wells in California.
Serena Williams returned to Indian Wells on Friday after a 14-year boycott due to racist abuse she suffered in the 2001 final and got her bid for a third BNP Paribas Open title off to a winning, though somewhat error-prone, start.
World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova stayed on track for a mouth-watering showdown in the final of the Indian Wells WTA tournament while defending champion Caroline Wozniacki was beaten by Ana Ivanovic on Tuesday.
Twice winner Maria Sharapova and reigning champion Flavia Pennetta advanced to the third round of the BNP Paribas Open on Saturday, though in sharply contrasting fashion.
US Open champion Sam Stosur made a premature exit at the Indian Wells WTA tournament on Monday while second seed Maria Sharapova advanced in straight sets.
His previous best was 97 in February, which he had attained after winning the Chennai Open, an ATP Challenger series event.
World number one Novak Djokovic will not compete in the Miami Open as he tries limit the number of events he plays this year, the 36-year-old Serb said on Saturday.
World number three Karolina Pliskova overcame a stern test to reach the semi-finals of the BNP Paribas Open on Wednesday after edging French Open champion Garbine Muguruza 7-6(2), 7-6(5) at Indian Wells.
Ace Indian tennis player Sumit Nagal was off to a winning start in Monte Carlo Masters as he defeated world number 63 Flavio Cobolli of Italy in straight sets in the qualifiers in Monte Carlo on Saturday.
Muguruza used her experience to get out of trouble, eventually set up a meeting with Ukrainian 10th seed Elina Svitolina in just over two hours under a relentless sun at Indian Wells.
Sumit Nagal got the big break as he was the highest ranked player in that draw.
Under the lights on the stadium court, Williams smashed 39 winners to defeat Azarenka 7-5, 6-3 in a rematch of the 2016 final, which the Belarusian won.
Serb Novak Djokovic moved relentlessly into the Indian Wells semi-finals on Friday, setting up a mouth-watering clash in the last four with Roger Federer for the Swiss world number two's ranking.
Top seed Caroline Wozniacki barely raised a sweat as she pummelled American wildcard Sloane Stephens 6-3, 6-2 in the second round of the Indian Wells WTA tournament on Saturday.
Novak Djokovic remained on course for his first title of the season with a second round victory over Victor Hanescu 7-6, 6-2 at the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday.
Novak Djokovic produced a superhuman effort to subdue Argentine Francisco Cerundolo.
World number one Iga Swiatek blasted past American Danielle Collins 6-3, 6-0.
Their Miami triumph was their second at the ATP Masters 1000 level after their 2023 title run in Indian Wells
Sumit Nagal registered a straight sets victory against Canada's Gabriel Diallo on his debut at the Miami Open.
Venus Williams targets return for Indian Wells and Miami
Top seed Victoria Azarenka charged ominously into the fourth round of the Indian Wells WTA tournament on Sunday while third-seeded Petra Kvitova made an unexpected early exit.
Defending champions Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis crashed out of the Indian Wells Masters after suffering a shock straight sets defeat in the women's doubles event, in California, on Monday.
Juan Martin del Potro could barely believe he had finally won a Masters 1000 series title at the 51st attempt at Indian Wells on Sunday but is determined to keep the trophies coming in his late career renaissance.
Rohan Bopanna and his Australian partner Matthew Ebden sailed into the men's doubles final at the Miami Open.
Ivanisevic joined Djokovic's team in 2019 and helped the 36-year-old win nine Grand Slam titles.
Roger Federer squandered three match points before suffering a shock 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 defeat at the hands of Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis at the Indian Wells ATP tournament on Tuesday.
The duo, who had won the Australian Open earlier this year, overcame several unforced errors in the first set to win the gruelling quarterfinal 3-6, 7-6 (4), 10-7.
Former World No 1 Carlos Moya and American Mardy Fish survived shaky first round encounters to advance in the Indian Wells ATP tournament on Thursday.
IMAGES from the matches played at the PNB Paribas Open at Indian Wells on Wednesday
Nagal is likely to reach a new career-high ranking of world No. 92
Former champion Maria Sharapova survived a tough battle with Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro on Sunday, winning 7-5, 6-3 to book her place in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open.
Sania Mirza and her Czech partner Barbora Strycova stormed into the quarter-finals of the BNP Paribas Open 2017 tennis tournament with a straight-set win over their opponents in the women's doubles at Indian Wells.
American qualifier Sachia Vickery completed an astonishing comeback to stun third seed Garbine Muguruza 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 in a second-round win at the BNP Paribas Open in California on Friday.
Defending champion Ana Ivanovic beat Argentina's Gisela Dulko 6-3, 6-3 to reach the fourth round of the WTA event in Indian Wells on Monday. The Serbian fifth seed was not totally convincing but did enough to set up a clash with Italian 12th seed Flavia Pennetta.
Elena Vesnina survived a battle of attrition and nerves to beat fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-7(6), 7-5, 6-4 in the BNP Paribas Open final on Sunday and secure the biggest title of her career.
Hopes that Serena Williams would end a 13-year boycott of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells were dashed on Friday when the World No 1 said she would not be competing in the event "after careful consideration".
Renowned for his speed on the ice, Koltsov won the Russian Super League title with Salavat Yulaev in 2008 and more recently returned to the club as an assistant coach.
Rafael Nadal withdrew from the Indian Wells tournament on Saturday with a knee injury, shortly before his eagerly-awaited semi-final clash with great rival Roger Federer.
Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer each needed three sets to reach the quarter-finals of the Indian Wells ATP tournament on Wednesday while Rafa Nadal advanced with a comfortable victory over Alexandr Dolgopolov.
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