INDIAN WELLS, UNITED STATES (AFP) - Australian Open champ Caroline Wozniacki benefited from a challenge call in the final game en route to defeating Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 at the Indian Wells event on Monday (March 12).

The 27-year-old world No. 2 Wozniacki moves on to the fourth round where she will face either reigning US Open champion Sloane Stephens or 20th seed Daria Kasatkina of Russia.

Wozniacki silenced the critics when she claimed her first Grand Slam title earlier this year at the Australian Open, becoming the first Danish woman to win a major.

Wozniacki challenged a call in the final game when the line judge ruled that Sasnovich's shot caught the line. Wozniacki asked for a second look and the review showed that the line judge mistakenly called the ball in.

That levelled the score at 30-30 and Wozniacki won two out of the next three points she needed to take the third set and the match in the $16 million joint WTA/ATP hardcourt tournament.

Wozniacki hit two aces and won 64 per cent of her first-serve points in the two hour, 17 minute match.

Sasnovich, of Belarus, committed 14 double faults and had her serve broken seven times.

Wozniacki had been one of seven women who held the No. 1 ranking who hadn't won a Grand Slam when she triumphed in Melbourne in January. The victory also allowed her to reclaim the world No. 1 ranking for the first time in six years.

She and Simona Halep have taken turns being No. 1 this year with Halep currently on top.

If Wozniacki wins in Indian Wells she will reclaim it.

In other women's third round matches on Monday, French seventh seed Caroline Garcia defeated Australia's Daria Gavrilova 7-5, 6-4.

Garcia advances to the round of 16 where she will face either Elena Vesnina of Russia or 10th seeded German Angelique Kerber.

Garcia is trying to improve on her best result here which is reaching the round of 16 in 2015 and last year.