Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus advanced to the fourth round at Indian Wells on Sunday with a walkover as Ukrainian qualifier Lesia Tsurenko pulled out of her scheduled match.
Organizers said that Surenko cited “personal reasons” for another withdrawal.
No further details were given, and there was no indication that the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year – which resulted in Russian and Belarusian tennis players being barred from competing under their national flags – was a factor.
In fact, Surenko has now lost nine of her 18 tournaments at Indian Wells last year by retirement or walkover.
She dropped semifinal walkovers in Canberra this year and quarterfinal walkovers in Eastbourne and Portorož, Slovenia, last year.
Sabalenka, whose first Grand Slam title in Melbourne was part of a perfect 13–0 start to the year that ended in the quarterfinals in Dubai, advanced to the third round with a 6–2, 6–0 win over Evgenia Rodina. ,
She will next face former French Open winner Barbora Krejcikova, who beat Wang Jinyu of China 6-2, 6-7 (1/7), 6-2.
Krejcikova has jumped 14 places to No.16 in the WTA rankings after defeating three top players in the world on her way to the title in Dubai last month.
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