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It was a good day for players named Linda at Indian Wells on Monday. Interestingly, the two players named Linda and who won their respective first-round matches at the BNP Paribas Open were from the Czech Republic – Linda Fruhvirtova and Linda Noskova.
Fruhvirtova fought back from receiving an opening set bagel to get the better of Mayar Sherif, 0-6, 6-2, 6-3 after two hours and 12 minutes of play. In the first set, the Egyptian won 89% of her first-serve points and all four points she played on her second serve.
She also won eight of the 10 points played on her 17-year-old opponent’s second serve, converting three break points along the way. In the second set, Fruhvirtova upped her game. She won 78% of her first-serve points to Sherif’s 62%.
She also won 64% of points on return on Sherif’s second serve. Two breaks of serve gave Fruhvirtova the chance to level the set and push the match into the decider. In the final set, both players traded breaks once before Fruhvirtova secured a second break that helped her clinch the set and saw her through to the round-of-64.
Fruhvirtova will play 27th seed Anhelina Kalinina.
Indian Wells: Linda Noskova shows her mettle
Meanwhile, Fruhvirtova’s compatriot and fellow teenager, 18-year-old Noskova ousted Irina-Camelia Begu 7-6(7), 6-1 in an hour and 30 minutes.
Noskova was down a break in the first set but made a comeback to reset the proceedings back on serve. In the tie-break, she also thwarted the Romanian from converting the set point she had. In the second set, Noskova didn’t win any of the three points played on her second serve but still outplayed Begu.
She didn’t face any break points in the set and converted two break points to get the win. Amanda Anisimova, the 31st seed will be Noskova’s next rival. Alycia Parks’ poor form spilled onto Indian Wells on Monday.
Anna Kalinskaya battered Parks 6-1, 6-1 in merely 56 minutes to reach the second round. Adding this loss, Parks’ now lost in the first round of three of the four tournaments she’s played since taking the title in Lyon.
The only event where she reached the second round was the Merida Open. 