The Belarus ogre continues on its way

Aryna Sabalenka heads into this third round in dazzling form, living up to her status as world number 1. After a start to the season marked by a title in Brisbane and a final at the Australian Open, she confirmed her intentions in Indian Wells with a dominant opening performance, showing she hasn’t lost any of her firepower or her desire to conquer the Californian desert.

For her part, Jaqueline Cristian, ranked 35th in the world, has had to dig deep to get through the first two rounds. Despite her admirable fighting spirit, the challenge looks enormous against a Belarusian who controls the rallies with ruthless efficiency. In this clash, the hierarchy is overwhelming, and the Romanian will need a technical miracle to disrupt the pace imposed by Sabalenka.