Indian Wells: Sabalenka Gets Walkover To Fourth Round As Tsurenko Withdraws

World number two Aryna Sabalenka is through to the fourth round of the Indian Wells after Ukraine's Lesia Tsurenko withdrew before the match on Sunday.

Tsurenko's withdrawal mid-tournament came as a surprise as she was seen warming up and working on her serve on a practice court two hours before the match.

Her withdrawal, said the organisers of the tournament, was due to "personal reasons."

This makes it the latest in an unusual series of events involving the 33-year-old.

She has withdrawn either during or before a match eight times in her last 15 WTA tournaments she's competed in.

This dates back to April which includes her withdrawal from the Monterrey Open while playing Donna Vekic, an opponent who refused to shake Tsurenko's hand when the duo faced off again last week at the Indian Wells Masters event in California.

Consequently, the 2023 Australian Open champion will face Czech 16th seed Barbora Krejcikova for a place in the last eight.

Krejcikova is the only player to beat Sabalenka in 2023, with the Czech winning their quarter-final clash in Dubai last month.