The round of 16 has wrapped up the second half of the draw and the US audience is treated to two Americans advancing to the quarterfinals, as Emma Navarro knocked out Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff made short work of Elise Mertens.
Emma Navarro is having her breakthrough tournament in Indian Wells. The American defeated world No.2 Aryna Sabalenka 6-3 3-6 6-2. Ranked 23 in the world entering the tournament, her career high, live rankings already have her up at 20.
The 22-year-old Navarro is still coming to terms with playing on the big stage. Asked about a shy wave to the crowd upon winning, the former college player told the media, “I would say it’s a little bit unnatural for me to be in the spotlight and be playing on a court like that with a ton of fans and TVs and, yeah, just eyes on me.