Dhaka, March 9 -- Ukrainian Elina Svitolina thanked the Indian Wells crowd for their support of her tennis and her country after beating American Ashlyn Krueger 6-1 7-6(8) 6-3 in the second round on Friday. Svitolina was cheered on by the fans despite playing an American and soaked in the applause after converting her ninth match point under the lights on a cold night in the California desert. "I want to thank you for your support of Ukraine," she said in an on-court interview. "It's nice to get these little wins for Ukraine."

Svitolina, seeded 23rd, will play either Danielle Collins or Hailey Baptiste in the third round. A Ukrainian flag flapped in the wind above Stadium Three court as Svitolina was cheered on during the match by her hu...