Dayana Yastremska, facing Briton Emma Raducanu in round 2 at Indian Wells, was forced to retire from the contest midway through the opening set due to illness. Raducanu started the match well and went 4-0 up in just 18 minutes during the first set before her Ukrainian opponent had to step back from the court holding her stomach. Medical personnel assessed her and she was forced to retire. She had also retired during her only other meeting with Raducanu at Portoroz in Slovenia earlier this year, this time due to an injury.
The Wild Card Raducanu served well, and her well-placed drop shot helped her break Yastremska’s serve in the opening game. She defended well to save a break point during her first service game before sealing a second break with a strong backhand. Raducanu comfortably held in the fourth game to take the first set. She said she was unaware of Yastremska’s illness during the match and felt bad for her opponent. “It’s the worst thing that can happen to you as an athlete,” Raducanu said.
In other matches, the United States’ Coco Gauff, ranked number three in the world, overcame Clara Burel, also of the United States, to secure her place in round three. World number 47 Burel, who took the opening set 6-2, led in the second set 2-0 before Gauff came back to win it 6-3. Gauff found herself trailing 4-0 and 5-2 in the third and final set before staging an impressive comeback to win the set 7-6, securing a spot in the third round of the tournament.
After the win against Burel, Gauff spoke about the mental toughness that helped her to gain a foothold in the match. “It’s not about how you show up on your good days, it’s about how you show up on bad ones – and I’m happy with how I showed up today,” she said. Gauff’s win was her 50th WTA 1,000 victory, a landmark achievement that made her the first teenager in history to do so, four days before her 20th birthday.
Raducanu will face either Peyton Stearns or Aryna Sabalenka in round three
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