American Emma Navarro stunned world number two Aryna Sabalenka 6-3 3-6 6-2 to record the biggest win of her career and reach the Indian Wells quarterfinals for the first time on Wednesday while Coco Gauff celebrated her birthday by advancing with ease.
Navarro absorbed Sabalenka’s powerful serve and converted four of her five break-point opportunities to beat the reigning two-time Australian Open champion in windy conditions.
Navarro came out flying to grab the first set before Sabalenka raised her level in the second to force a decider.
The even-keeled Navarro kept her cool, fending off a break point and smacking a forehand winner for a crucial service hold and a 4-1 lead.
Navarro, seeded 23rd, broke the hard-hitting Belarusian for a fourth time on match point to book a quarter-final clash with ninth seed Maria Sakkari of Greece.
Sakkari, the 2022 runner-up, beat Frenchwoman Diane Parry 6-2 3-6 6-3.
Navarro, who is known for keeping her emotions under wraps, did a subdued fist pump after winning the match in front of a supportive crowd at Stadium One.
“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 eyes on me. It’s not my natural way,” she told reporters.
“But I feel I’m definitely getting more comfortable with it and just feeling like I can be myself even if there’s however many people watching.
“Also I think that was my second or third fist pump ever. If it was a little weird, cut me some slack,” she said with a smile.
Gauff dominated Elise Mertens to win 6-0 6-2 on her 20th birthday and book her spot in the quarterfinals.
The dynamic American played her best tennis of the tournament so far, serving well and stepping into the court to overwhelm the Belgian 24th seed.
Third seed Gauff saw her section of the draw open up after Sabalenka’s defeat and will play unseeded Yuan Yue of China, who fought back from a set and a break down to beat Russian 11th seed Daria Kasatkina 4-6 6-4 6-3.
Meanwhile, Holger Rune rallied from a set down and saved a match point to defeat former champion Taylor Fritz 2-6 7-6(2) 6-3 on Wednesday and reach the quarterfinals where he will meet fourth seed Daniil Medvedev.
Rune surrendered the opening set in 32 minutes and looked down for the count when 2022 winner Fritz went up 5-4 and 40-30 in the next, but the seventh-seeded Dane produced a vital hold before forcing a tiebreak.
The 20-year-old stepped up a gear to level the contest at one set all and broke his American opponent for the first time with some blistering shotmaking for a 3-1 lead in the decider.
With Fritz wilting in the California desert, Rune completed the comeback by closing out the match on serve, finishing with a fiery forehand winner.
Earlier, Casper Ruud ended Frenchman Gael Monfils’s run with a 3-6 7-6(3) 6-4 victory and plays Tommy Paul after the American brought lucky loser Luca Nardi back down to Earth.