Alcaraz, Fritz, Gauff into Quarterfinals at Indian Wells

14 March 2023, US, Indian Wells: US tennis player Taylor Fritz in action against Hungary's Marton Fucsovics during their men's singles round of 16 match of the Indian Wells Masters Tennis tournament. (dpa)
14 March 2023, US, Indian Wells: US tennis player Taylor Fritz in action against Hungary's Marton Fucsovics during their men's singles round of 16 match of the Indian Wells Masters Tennis tournament. (dpa)
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Alcaraz, Fritz, Gauff into Quarterfinals at Indian Wells

14 March 2023, US, Indian Wells: US tennis player Taylor Fritz in action against Hungary's Marton Fucsovics during their men's singles round of 16 match of the Indian Wells Masters Tennis tournament. (dpa)
14 March 2023, US, Indian Wells: US tennis player Taylor Fritz in action against Hungary's Marton Fucsovics during their men's singles round of 16 match of the Indian Wells Masters Tennis tournament. (dpa)

Carlos Alcaraz is three victories away from returning to the world's top ranking, having reached the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open on Tuesday.

Alcaraz, ranked No. 2, advanced when Jack Draper retired with the Spaniard leading 6-2, 2-0 after 46 minutes of play. It was Alcaraz’s 101st ATP Tour victory.

"I would say I returned well, I hit great shots," Alcaraz said. "I finished the match with confidence in my shots, to come into the next round with more confidence."

Draper was affected by an abdominal injury that first surfaced in his win against Andy Murray a day earlier. The injury affected the Brit's serve, which dropped well below 100 mph, and his movement. A trainer visited him between sets and Draper won just one point in the first two games of the second set before quitting.

Coco Gauff rallied from a break down in the third set to beat Swedish qualifier Rebecca Peterson, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 and reach the quarterfinals.

Down 2-4, Gauff fought her way back and saved three break points while serving at 4-all before closing out the match in the next game.

Four years ago, Peterson routed a then-14-year-old Gauff at a Challenger tournament in Michigan.

"She whopped me really bad," Gauff said on court. "I think today was really a mental thing, just staying in the match. I wasn’t playing my best in some moments and I wasn’t serving as well as I’d like to, but I think that my mentality kept me in."

The sixth-seeded American next plays No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka, who beat 16th-seeded Barbora Krejcikova, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.

No. 3 Jessica Pegula lost to 15th-seed Petra Kvitova 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (11) after the American blew four match points

"When the match is like this, it is very exhausting," Kvitova said. "Up and down. Definitely it's one of the best matches I've played."

Sorana Cirstea took out No. 5 Caroline Garcia 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, No. 7 Maria Sakkari beat 17th-seeded Karolina Pliskova 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, and No. 10 Elena Rybakina defeated Varvara Gracheva 6-3, 6-0.

On the men's side, defending champion Taylor Fritz moved into the quarters with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Marton Fucsovics.

No. 5 Daniil Medvedev overcame a swollen right ankle and outlasted 12th-seeded Alexander Zverev, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-5.

"When I rolled my ankle, I rolled it pretty hard," he said. "At the moment I rolled it I was like ‘Okay I’m going to stand up and it’s going to be fine,' but then I continued to stay on the ground because the pain was only growing. It was definitely a crazy match."

Medvedev took a medical timeout to have his ankle taped in the second set before going on to notch his 17th consecutive match win and improve to 22-2 this year.

"This one was definitely the toughest one of all," he said on court.

Zverev added to the drama by saving a match point and breaking for 5-5 in the final set. Medvedev broke right back and went on to win.

He next plays Spain’s Alejandro Davidovch Fokina, who beat Cristian Garin 6-3, 6-4.

No. 10 Cameron Norrie, the 2021 champion, beat sixth-seeded Andrey Rublev, 6-2, 6-4. Norrie improved to 21-3 this year.

Norrie advanced to a quarterfinal against Frances Tiafoe, who beat qualifier Alejandro Tabilo, 6-4, 6-4.



Haaland: Man City Players Not 'Good Enough' in 'Horrific Season'

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester City v Wolverhampton Wanderers - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - May 2, 2025 Manchester City's Erling Haaland before the match REUTERS/Scott Heppell
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester City v Wolverhampton Wanderers - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - May 2, 2025 Manchester City's Erling Haaland before the match REUTERS/Scott Heppell
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Haaland: Man City Players Not 'Good Enough' in 'Horrific Season'

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester City v Wolverhampton Wanderers - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - May 2, 2025 Manchester City's Erling Haaland before the match REUTERS/Scott Heppell
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester City v Wolverhampton Wanderers - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - May 2, 2025 Manchester City's Erling Haaland before the match REUTERS/Scott Heppell

Reaching a third straight FA Cup final with Champions League qualification within reach is not enough for Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, who said the club had a "horrific season" as they missed out on their fifth Premier League title in a row.

Haaland, who has extended his contract with City until 2034, told BBC Sport that his team's players had not been "good enough" in an interview published on Thursday.

"It is a good habit to reach Wembley and always important to win trophies. We have the FA Cup final to play for and in a horrific season we still managed to do this, that says it all," Haaland said.

"When you have won four league titles in a row, if you don't win five it's not going to be a successful season. Those are the standards we have set. We haven't done good enough in the league but still hoping for Champions League qualification."

City, who play Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final on Saturday, are fourth in the league with two games left, two points above fifth-placed Chelsea as they look to ensure a top-five finish to qualify for next season's Champions League.

"We haven't been stable enough this season... of course, we have had injuries throughout the season. But we should not search for excuses," the 24-year-old said, according to Reuters.

"Every single one of us hasn't been good enough and we haven't been at our best, so when you are not at your best you aren't going to win games in this country because it's so hard."

Norway international Haaland, who has scored 21 league goals this season, was also sidelined for a month after sustaining an ankle injury in March.

"It has been horrible to get injured. It is not nice to see the team play but you have to make the best out of it and try to come back as quick as possible," he said.

"I am really happy to be back. Loads of energy."