Naomi Osaka rallied past Camila Osorio 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, while world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka cruised past Jaqueline Cristian 6-4, 6-1 in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells. The win sets up their first meeting since 2018, when Osaka defeated the then-rising Sabalenka.
In the third round at Indian Wells Tennis Garden, 16th-seeded Naomi Osaka avenged her first-round loss to Camila Osorio from last year with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 victory. Osaka dominated the opener by breaking serve three times, but Osorio fought back in the second set, breaking for a 4-2 lead and holding on. Osaka reset in the decider, racing to a 3-0 lead and closing without facing a break point.
Returning from an abdominal injury that forced her Australian Open withdrawal, Osaka credited a mindset shift: "I can only say that I tried to be more positive," she said. "I feel like the second set I was complaining a lot and then I just kind of thought my daughter could be watching me mope around the court. So I needed to pick up my attitude." She added of her upcoming foe, "Obviously she's so consistent, she's the No. 1 player in the world and it's, for me, very motivating. I'm excited to play her."
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka, meanwhile, extended her streak against players outside the top 20 to 23 matches with a 6-4, 6-1 win over No. 35 Jaqueline Cristian in 71 minutes. The Belarusian fired 23 winners, saved five of six break points, and recovered from double faults while serving for the first set by breaking back. It marked her 137th WTA 1000 win, passing Maria Sharapova for seventh since 2009.
"I knew that she was not going to give up easily," Sabalenka said. "That's why I was super-focused, especially on my serve... super-happy with the serving, with the game and of course with the win. I'll have a chance to get a revenge, hopefully."
Both four-time Grand Slam champions, Osaka and Sabalenka last met in the 2018 US Open fourth round, where a 20-year-old Osaka prevailed en route to her Indian Wells and US Open titles that year. Sabalenka eyes her first title here after two runner-up finishes.
Other notable third-round results: Amanda Anisimova routed Emma Raducanu 6-1, 6-1, and Jasmine Paolini outlasted Ajla Tomljanovic 7-5, 5-7, 6-1.
