Rakhimova surges past injured Andreescu in Indian Wells opener
Kamilla Rakhimova turns a first-set setback into a decisive rout over Bianca Andreescu, advancing to face Coco Gauff amid the Canadian’s ongoing injury frustrations at the BNP Paribas Open.
Under the stark desert light at Indian Wells, Bianca Andreescu arrived with quiet determination, her wildcard entry a nod to past glory as the 2019 champion. The former World No. 4, sidelined for seven months by an ankle injury from last summer’s Montreal clash with Barbora Krejcikova, sought her first WTA win since. Facing qualifier Kamilla Rakhimova in the BNP Paribas Open first round, Andreescu summoned early sparks, but blisters and fading movement turned promise into a 6-7(6), 6-0, 6-1 defeat. For the latest, check the Scores, Draws, and Order of play at Indian Wells.
Andreescu’s path back included ITF titles in Bradenton and Vero Beach to start 2026, plus a wildcard loss to Dalma Galfi in Austin last week—her first WTA match of the year. This marked her fourth appearance at the tournament and initial meeting with Rakhimova, the Uzbek qualifier who grinded through three rounds. The hard courts here, with their medium pace and high bounce, favored Andreescu’s topspin game initially, her inside-out forehands carving angles that pulled Rakhimova wide.
“I was up 6-3, we saw that,” Rakhimova said in her on-court interview. “Tennis happens, it happens. I needed to come back stronger and to keep doing my thing.”
First set hinges on tiebreak grit
Rakhimova held to start, but Andreescu broke at 3-1 with a precise inside-in forehand that clipped the baseline, then consolidated for a two-game edge. The qualifier countered fiercely, stringing three games on deep crosscourt backhands that jammed the Canadian’s return position. Momentum seesawed until the tiebreak, where Rakhimova built a 6-3 lead with set points, her flat groundstrokes skimming low over the net.
A missed swinging volley from Rakhimova cracked the door, allowing Andreescu to unleash five straight points—including six of her 12 aces—sealing the set in 66 minutes with 15 winners. The crowd buzzed with approval, sensing the former champion’s revival on these familiar courts. Yet Rakhimova’s composure, honed in qualifying, hinted at deeper reserves waiting to surface.
Blisters derail second-set dominance
The second set unfolded in brutal efficiency, Rakhimova blanking Andreescu 6-0 in 33 minutes—her first such shutout in a tour main draw since beating Sara Bejlek at the 2023 French Open. She broke three times from seven chances, using heavy topspin to push the Canadian deep and force backhand errors on the stretch. Andreescu’s serve, once a weapon, faltered under the pressure, her footwork losing its earlier snap.
Post-set, a medical timeout revealed blisters on her left toe and foot, the injury’s toll evident in her labored walk. In the third, the limp hobbled her agility, turning crosscourt rallies into labored defenses as Rakhimova targeted the weaker side with down-the-line passes. Fans rallied midway through the decider, their cheers a fleeting boost, but the Uzbek claimed 11 of the last 12 games, her flat-paced aggression overwhelming the fading effort.
Gauff matchup tests newfound momentum
Rakhimova now eyes World No. 4 Coco Gauff in the second round, the American entering on a bye after Dubai semifinals. Their history tilts 0-2, both straight-set wins for Gauff at the 2026 Australian Open and 2025 China Open, though those surfaces differed from Indian Wells’ outdoor hard. Rakhimova’s flat shots could disrupt Gauff’s baseline rhythm if she exploits second serves with deep returns, while the American’s 1–2 patterns and net approaches loom as counters.
“I’m so ready, no pressure—just enjoy tennis and of course myself,” Rakhimova said of the clash. For Andreescu, the loss extends her WTA drought, a stark chapter in her fourth BNP Paribas Open run and first against this opponent. As the tournament deepens, Rakhimova’s reset from qualifier to upset artist promises fireworks, where mental edges and surface tweaks decide who rises in the desert heat.
