Swiatek routs Muchova to reach Indian Wells quarter-finals
Two-time champion Iga Swiatek advanced to the quarter-finals at Indian Wells on Wednesday, beating in-form Czech Karolina Muchova 6-2, 6-0.
World number two Swiatek, who lifted the trophy at the prestigious ATP and WTA Masters 1000 in 2022 and 2024, won the last 10 matches to end Muchova’s eight-match winning streak, which included her first title since 2019 at the Qatar Open last month.
Advertisement
“I felt good,” Swiatek said after reaching her fifth consecutive quarterfinal at Indian Wells.
“I felt really solid and I felt like I could really, from start to finish, play my kind of game and play the way I wanted to.”
This meant being “proactive” with her forehand.
“I just picked the right balls to move forward or stay back and grind a little more,” she said.
“I think the decision-making was good today. I didn’t rush and I had comfortable situations to do what I wanted.”
Swiatek will next face ninth-seeded Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, who advanced when 44th-seeded Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic withdrew with a right hip injury while trailing 6-1, 1-1.
Advertisement
“Of course, it’s very unlucky for her to finish a tournament like this,” Svitolina said of Siniakova, a former doubles number one who ousted defending champion Mirra Andreeva in the third round.
“For me it’s a little more time to recover for the big match tomorrow,” said the 31-year-old who lost four of his previous five meetings against Swiatek.
Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina, winner of Indian Wells in 2023, also advanced by retirement, with unseeded Briton Sonay Kartal ending her day while trailing 6-4, 4-3.
Kartal had received treatment for a lower back injury during a medical timeout at the end of the first set.
Advertisement
She continued to massage during position changes in the second before finally stopping after a descent.
“This is definitely not the way I wanted to end the match,” Rybakina said. “It’s not easy, this kind of injury.”
– Over the hump –
Rybakina will next face fifth-seeded American Jessica Pegula, whose 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) victory over Belinda Bencic marked her first victory against the Swiss veteran after four defeats.
“I’m really happy to be able to turn around my pretty bad record against Belinda,” Pegula said.
“When you’re able to figure that out and overcome that obstacle, it’s always a good feeling.”
Advertisement
Leading 5-3 in the second set, Pegula thwarted a late comeback attempt from Bencic, who produced a service game at love then broke Pegula as she served for the match at 5-4.
Bencic then held serve to force the tiebreaker, saving two match points before Pegula closed out the victory on her third opportunity.
“She made me earn it today,” Pegula said.
“I felt like in the second set, when I got up there, I had a little lull where I had a few game points and maybe I could have finished the match.
“But she’s a really good player and when you’re not completely done with it, that’s when she can step in, and that’s what she did.”
BB/DH
