Arina Sabalenka prepares to serve against Victoria Mboko during the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open on Thursday, March 12, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. Half of the final four matches at the BNP Paribas Open have been confirmed after Linda Noskova and Aryna Sabalenka won their quarterfinals on Thursday in Indian Wells, California.
World No. 1 Sabalenka shook off a slow start to beat Canada’s Victoria Mboko 7-6(0), 6-4 in 109 minutes. This is Sabalenka’s second win over Mboko this season after they met at the Australian Open in January.
She had a notable advantage in service points, winning 68% to Mboko’s 61%, but Sabalenka credited her success on break points (5-for-5 saves) with the win.
“I think the moment I feel comfortable, I’m definitely going to start losing. That’s why I felt really successful in the tiebreaks, because I take it really seriously,” Sabalenka said. “I’m not focusing on the past. I’m just trying to take it back one point at a time.”
Two-time runner-up Sabalenka of Belarus will next face Noskova of the Czech Republic.
Noskova, ranked 14th, also had to work her way to victory, beating Australia’s Talia Gibson 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 in 97 minutes.
After a first set that went largely scripted, Noskova ran into trouble in the second as neither player could break away from another holding serve. Gibson used the first game break to gain an early advantage and then used it to win the second set.
Noskova used her third ace to regain control in the third.
Sabalenka won 6-3, 7-6(4) in their only meeting with Noskova in the final of the 2023 Adelaide International.
In a clash between world No. 9 and No. 2, Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina will face Poland’s Iga Swiatek for another semi-final spot later in the day. That winner will face either Jessica Pegula (No. 5) or Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina (No. 3), who will also face each other later on Thursday.
–Field level media
