INDIAN WELLS, US: Two-time Indian Wells champion Victoria Azarenka shook off a slow start to beat Vera Lapko 6-2, 6-3 on Wednesday and set up a mouthwatering second-round meeting with long-time rival Serena Williams.
Azarenka, a former world No. 1 now ranked 48th, said she started a little too passive in dropping the first two games against her fellow Belarussian, but roared back to seal the win with ease.
She was looking forward to taking on 10th-seeded Williams, who like all the seeds in the combined WTA and ATP Masters event has a first-round bye.
The American has won 17 of their 21 prior encounters, but Azarenka won their most recent clash — in the 2016 Indian Wells final.
“Of course it’s going to be a very special match for us,” she said of their first clash since both became mothers.
“We have such a big history, it’s going to be really special. She motivates me, she inspires me, she pushes me to be better,” Azarenka said of Williams.
The opening day of women’s main draw play saw highly touted teenagers Bianca Andreescu and Amanda Ansimova reached the second round.
Canada’s Andreescu, 18, rallied from a set down to beat Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu 6-7, 6-3, 6-3.
“For me, the ending is the most important, so I’m really glad I pulled through,” said Andreescu, who has won 22 matches this season including qualifying and main draw.
She has climbed steadily in the rankings, rising from 107th at the start of the year to 60th.
“Mentally ... I was like, I might as well go for my shots, and see where that leads me and that’s what I did, and it worked,” said Andreescu, who booked a second-round meeting with 32nd seed Dominika Cibulkova.
American Ansimova, 17, lined up a meeting with 16th-seeded Elize Mertens of Belgium with a 6-0, 6-4 victory over Serbian Aleksandra Krunic.
Third-seeded Petra Kvitova, who will face either Venus Williams or Andrea Petkovic in the second round, said she wasn’t surprised to see teenagers making such a strong showing.
“Every year we see some young generation coming,” she said, noting that while still little known they can play “with no fear.”
“They are not favorites, all the pressure is on (their opponents),” she said.
Elsewhere, American Sofia Kenin didn’t have to wait long to avenge her loss to Wang Yafan in last Saturday’s Acapulco women’s final — ousting China’s Wang 1-6, 7-5, 6-4.
Victoria Azarenka sets up mouthwatering clash against old rival Serena Williams
Victoria Azarenka sets up mouthwatering clash against old rival Serena Williams
- Former world No. 1 Azarenka to face American ace in second round of Masters event.
- Pair have met 21 times with Serena wining 17 of those clashes.
Formula E heads to Jeddah for double-header, Evans looking to build on Miami momentum
- The night races in Saudi Arabia come with the drivers’ standings tightly contested, with the top five separated by just seven points after three rounds
JEDDAH: The FIA Formula E World Championship continues this week with the first double-header of the 2025/26 season, as Rounds 4 and 5 take place at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit on Feb. 13 and 14.
The night races in Saudi Arabia come with the drivers’ standings tightly contested, with the top five separated by just seven points after three rounds, while the highly anticipated Pit Boost feature also returns this weekend.
Pit Boost is a mandatory mid-race stop that provides cars with a 10 percent energy increase, adding a significant strategic element to selected races during double-header weekends.
Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans arrives in Jeddah fresh from victory in Miami and said the team is keen to build on its momentum.
“Getting the win in Miami was a huge boost, for me personally, of course, but for the whole team too. It was one of those races where everything just came together, and to take my 15th Formula E victory with Jaguar made it even more special,” he said.
“Now the attention shifts to Jeddah, which is a completely different challenge. We’ve shown we have the pace, and if we execute well across both races, there’s a big opportunity for us to really ride this momentum,” he added.
Porsche Formula E Team’s Nico Muller said the Jeddah E-Prix presents a unique challenge, particularly with the return of Pit Boost, which will be used in one of the two races.
“I’m excited for the Jeddah E-Prix, a night race is always special. It’s a cool track, it suits the GEN3 Evo (car) well,” he said.
“It’ll be the first Pit Boost race of the season, which will make things challenging, having two completely different races. It also makes preparation more intense because we’re preparing for two different scenarios.
“However, we have a strong base, the car and the team are performing well, and now it’s about optimizing our package for this track and the conditions. We have full focus on scoring points and chasing that victory,” he added.
The Jeddah E-Prix will once again be held under the lights, with cooler track and air temperatures expected to influence tire behavior and energy efficiency.
Off track, Formula E will also host the return of EVO Sessions, where global content creators will drive electric race cars at the circuit following the race weekend, with the event set to be streamed live on YouTube on Feb. 15.
The championship continues to promote sustainability and community engagement in Jeddah through initiatives focused on renewable energy use, waste reduction, education programs and inclusion, including support for young women in motorsport and local community partnerships.
