Chilean qualifier Cristian Garin prevailed over World number four Casper Ruud with a 6-4, 7-6(2) triumph after one hour and 59 minutes and will face either Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina or 13th seed Karen Khachanov next.
In his on-court interview, he commented: “Casper is one of the players that I really admire.”
“I’m so happy to be playing like that, being aggressive, going to the net. That’s the way that I like to play and the only way that I have to beat these kinds of players.”
A balanced first set shifted way to Garin’s side when the Chilean player converted his first break point over Ruud in the fifth game, leading for the first time and holding to take a 4-2 lead.
Building on his advantage, the Santiago native stroked first, sealing the opener 6-4 in 52 minutes.
In the process, he won 85 percent of the first serve points on it while Ruud won just 64 percent on his, converting one of five break point opportunities.
Furthermore, he powered 16 winners past the Norwegian, committing nine unforced errors to his opponent’s 8 and 9, respectively.
The two-time major finalist found himself under pressure from the start of the second set when the 26-year-old broke his serve, continuing his run of form in Tennis Paradise to lead 2-1 and held to extend his advantage to 3-1, charging at the net with precision.
The following games, decided by small margins, saw Ruud finding some of his rhythm, capitalizing on Garin’s mistakes to steal a break of serve and level up at 3-3, regrouping to stay ahead at 4-3.
Under pressure, the five-time ATP titlist hit two double faults that could have cost him the eighth game. However, the U.S. Open runner-up missed two break points opportunities, allowing his adversary to raise and set things even at 4-4.
Within 50 minutes in the second set, the score remained tied at 5-5, a parity that unfolded into a tie-break, which Garin took by storming 7-6 to stun his rival, reaching the round of 16 at Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
He finished with 39 winners to 24 unforced errors, winning 80 percent of the first serve points and saving three of four breakpoints.
Norway’s top racquet opened his campaign in Indian Wells on Friday, moving past Argentine Diego Schwartzman with a 6-2, 6-3 victory, setting a third-round meeting with Garin.
Meanwhile, the Chilean player came through qualifying to reach the main draw, succeeding in beating 29th seed Yoshihito Nishioka 6-4, 6-0.
Against Ruud, he achieved his first top-10 win since 2021, the best result of his 2023 season thus far.
In the four ATP tournaments he contested in the build-up to the first Masters 1000 of the year, he made an early exit.