World number one Naomi Osaka put another solid performance defeating Danielle Collins 6-4, 6-2 in the round of 16 match of Paribas Open at Indian Wells.
World number one Naomi Osaka put another solid performance defeating Danielle Collins 6-4, 6-2 in the round of 16 match of Paribas Open at Indian Wells, California.
However, a sick Alexander Zverev was sent packing from with a 6-3 6-1 defeat by fellow German Jan-Lennard Struff in the third round. Next up for 55th-ranked Struff will be Canadian 13th seed Milos Raonic, who had his hands full before prevailing against American qualifier Marcos Giron 4-6 6-4 6-4.
In other matches, seventh seed Dominic Thiem beat Gilles Simon 6-3 6-1 while Croat Ivo Karlovic defeated Indian qualifier Prajnesh Gunneswaran 6-3 7-6.
The night match between world number one Novak Djokovic, who is playing his first tournament since his Australian Open triumph in January, and Philipp Kohlschreiber was suspended with the top seed leading 1-0.
Naomi Osaka advances
Danielle Collins started playing Osaka with confidence to start off the match, exchanging breaks early and saving three break points to keep the opening set on serve until the tenth game.
Osaka found her mojo from there, turning around a 40-30 deficit to break and clinch the set a with a flamboyant forehand.
The Japanese only increased her intensity in the second set, breaking serve first and roaring back from 40-0 down two games later to earn another.
However, Collins did not go without a fight as she saved a match point on serve.
Osaka soon stepped to the line to serve for the remaining match, opening the game with an ace and she earned three more match points after striking a forehand winner. after two points, the Japanese emerged victorious with the help of an amazing backhand winner.
Osaka just committed 21 unforced errors and she converted four of nine break point opportunities.
The 21-year-old Osaka will next take on number seven seed Belinda Bencic next.
Ill Zverev beaten by compatriot Struff
Struff saved all four break points he faced and took barely an hour to clinch his first career win over Zverev in five attempts.
"I have been sick for a week. That hasn't changed unfortunately," third seed Zverev told reporters. "I think I just got unlucky, got a virus somewhere and that's how it is."
Zverev lost to Nick Kyrgios in the final of the Acapulco tournament in Mexico nine days ago. He said his main focus was to recover for the Miami Open that starts in Florida next week.
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