2023 Indian Wells: Tiafoe, Fritz, Gauff charge into QFs

The 25-year-old will next face Great Britain's Cameron Norrie on Wednesday, seeking revenge after the Briton won their only previous meeting two years ago in Delray Beach.

Fritz also advanced in straight sets, though he faced a stern challenge from Hungary's Marton Fucsovics. One of the key moments in his hard-fought 6-4, 6-3 victory came when he used a trick serve to help him close out a 22-point game and secure a 3-0 lead in set two.

Running out of ideas in the marathon game, Fritz delivered a "reverse serve" that came off his racquet with lefty spin: "I just got to the point where I was like, 'Nothing else is working so I might as well just do my reverse serve, and maybe that will.'" he explained. "I ended up winning the point, so I guess it worked out."

Next up in his title defense is a showdown with 11th-seeded Italian Jannik Sinner on Thursday.

It won't get any easier in the quarterfinals, with the sixth seed set to take on reigning Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka on Wednesday afternoon.

Gauff's doubles partner Pegula nearly joined her in the last eight, but the third seed was turned back in dramatic fashion by two-time Wimbledon champ Petra Kvitova. The Czech saved four match points in a thrilling 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(11) win, edging the American No. 1 in a back-and-forth thriller.

Tommy Paul saw six match points go begging in an equally upsetting defeat to Felix Auger-Aliassime, with the Canadian escaping, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(8), just before midnight in the California desert.

In addition to the singles matches for Tiafoe and Gauff on Wednesday's schedule, the day's action will also see defending and two-time men's doubles champions John Isner and Jack Sock take the court for their quarterfinal matchup against Italians Fabio Fognini and Simone Bolelli.

Caty McNally will also compete alongside Poland's Magda Linette in the women's doubles quarters, with the pair set to play the Japanese team of Ena Shibahara and Shuko Aoyama.