Sakkari Steamrolls Kvitova, Rybakina Beats Azarenka

Indian Wells: Greece's Maria Sakkari fired off five aces to make light work of Czech Petra Kvitova 6-3, 6-0 in the third round of Indian Wells on Monday.

The world number six won all of her first-serve points in the first set and dropped just one in the second, as Kvitova struggled with her serve, producing five double-faults across the 66-minute affair in California.

Two-time Wimbledon winner Kvitova ceded break point in the eighth game of the first set and never regained her composure, as Sakkari fended off two breaks to close out the frame and ran away with the match in the second set.

It was the second time that Sakkari has reached the round of 16 at tennis' unofficial "fifth major," after she reached the fourth round in 2018.

Later in the day's action, two-time winner and 13th seed Victoria Azarenka fell to Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina 6-3, 6-4 after a malfunctioning serve saw her produce eight double faults.

Czech Marketa Vondrousova knocked out Estonian fourth seed Anett Kontaveit 3-7, 7-5, 7-6(5).

Also read: Tsitsipas, Nadal, Medvedev advance with hard-fought wins

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