Himeno sakatsume

Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva: World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka made a confident start to her campaign at the Indian Wells, defeating Japanese qualifier Himeno Sakatsume 6-4, 6-2 in the opener.

The Belarusian, returning to competition after finishing runner-up to Elena Rybakina at the Australian Open, looked sharp despite the break from tournament play. Sabalenka dictated the tempo with her aggressive serving and powerful groundstrokes against the 136th-ranked Sakatsume, who was contesting her first match against a top-20 opponent.