Out-of-sorts Wozniacki muddles through against Sasnovich

A hard-fought 6-4 2-6 6-3 over Aliaksandra Sasnovich sees Caroline Wozniacki into the Indian Wells fourth round.

Caroline Wozniacki was far from her best as she came through a third-round clash with Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-4 2-6 6-3 at the Indian Wells Masters on Monday.

The second seed went 4-1 down in the opening set as her Belarusian opponent started brightly, but Wozniacki - who struggled on her own serve early on - reeled off five games on the bounce to somehow move in front.

Wozniacki's struggles were back at the beginning of the second, her groundstrokes lacking consistency, and there would be no comeback this time around.

Two breaks were enough for Sasnovich to pull level, surviving three break points in the eighth game before clinching the set at the fourth time of asking.

Wozniacki dropped the opening game of a set for a third time in the decider, but she hit straight back before edging in front at 4-2.

And while Sasnovich was able to get back on terms, Wozniacki broke the world number 49 decisively in the next game, wrapping up a victory the Dane will be happy to move on from.

Wozniacki will face Sloane Stephens or Daria Kasatkina for a place in the quarter-finals of an event she won in 2011.