Defending champion Taylor Fritz advances at BNP Paribas Open

Defending champion Taylor Fritz advances at the BNP Paribas Open

Taylor Fritz hits a return during his third-round victory over Sebastian Baez at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

Associated Press

March 13, 2023 Updated 9:20 PM PT

INDIAN WELLS — Defending champion Taylor Fritz routed Sebastian Baez 6-1, 6-2 in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open on Monday.

The fourth-seeded Fritz served four aces and won 88% of his first-serve points against the 30th-seeded Baez from Argentina.

Andy Murray’s run ended in a 7-6 (6), 6-2 loss to 21-year-old Jack Draper.

“I’ve looked up to Andy since I was so young,” Draper said. “I watched him win Wimbledon for the first time in 2013, and then I’ve had the opportunity to get to know him and practice with him often since 2019. He’s a really special person, a great champion and a great human being, and it was a privilege to play against him on this court.”

Murray has not won three consecutive matches at a Masters 1000 event since he won the title in Paris in 2016.

Also advancing was Stan Wawrinka, who defeated No. 7 seed Holger Rune 2-6, 7-6 (5), 7-5. American Tommy Paul beat ninth-seeded Hubert Hurkacz 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.

Rune saved a match point and rallied from 5-2 down to win the second-set tiebreaker. But Wawrinka recovered in the third to send his 19-year-old opponent packing.

“The last 45 minutes was tough,” Wawrinka said. “I had the match in control and was playing well. I was putting [on] a lot of pressure. I should have won the match way before.”

Wawrinka reached the fourth round in the Southern California desert for the first time since 2017, when he lost in the final. He turns 38 next month.

“All my career, I know only one way,” Wawrinka said. “To keep fighting, working, pushing myself and stay positive. I am super happy with the win.”

No. 8 Felix Auger-Aliassime avoided the upset bug and beat Francisco Cerundolo 7-5, 6-4.

In women’s action, top-ranked Iga Swiatek defeated 2019 champion Bianca Andreescu 6-3, 7-6 (1).

“I’m glad that I [got] the chance to play under pressure a little bit more, and see how I am going to cope with that,” Swiatek said on court.

No. 4 Ons Jabeur lost to Marketa Vondrousova 7-6 (5), 6-4, and No. 5 Caroline Garcia outlasted Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1.

Emma Raducanu, the 2021 U.S Open champion, beat No. 13 Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-1, 2-6, 6-4.

The final set lasted more than an hour, with Raducanu breaking Haddad Maia’s serve to go up 4-3. Raducanu held the rest of the way and closed it out on her fourth match point. It was her biggest win over an opponent since her breakthrough run at the U.S. Open.

Next up for Raducanu is a fourth-round match against Swiatek.

“I’m pretty sure I’ll be ready tactically; my coach is good at tactics, so I’m just going to trust him,” Swiatek said. ”I’m pretty sure that I got into the rhythm already, so hopefully I’m going to play better with every match.”

No. 10 Elena Rybakina beat 2021 champion and doubles partner Paula Badosa 6-3, 7-5.