TENNIS in DEPTH.

Marion Bartoli defeated past champion Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 7-6(4) on Wednesday afternoon in Indian Wells to reach the BNP Paribas Open semi-finals. The players exchanged service breaks in the first three games, setting the tone for match that would feature a combined 13 breaks. Bartoli went on a five-game run to go up a set and a break, but Ivanovic continued to battle back. She got back on serve four different times in the second set before Bartoli finally closed out the two-hour, seven-minute victory in the tie-break. Bartoli is through a tour-level semi-final for a third time this season, but will be looking to reach her first final since 2009 when she faces the winner between Shahar Peer and Yanina Wickmayer.

With Ivanovic’s loss, Maria Sharapova is the only past Indian Wells champion remaining in the draw. The Russian plays unseeded Peng Shuai in her quarter-final match Thursday.

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