Iga Swiatek, the defending champion, advanced to the quarter-finals of Indian Wells with a commanding 6-1, 6-1 win over Karolina Muchova.
The victory sees Swiatek aiming to make history as the first woman to win the prestigious tournament three times, having previously lifted the trophy in 2022.
Although the match was delayed by nearly an hour due to rain, Swiatek wasted no time once play resumed, securing the victory in just 57 minutes without facing a single break point. Throughout her journey to the last eight, the world number two has only dropped six games and will now face China’s eighth seed Zheng Qinwen.
Reflecting on her dominant performance, Swiatek said, “Sometimes matches can be pretty weird. It’s enough for one player to not feel perfect and the other to feel great. Then suddenly the difference is much bigger than it usually is. It’s tennis.
Things like that can happen. For sure I used my opportunities and I used my chances. It’s not easy, but I can imagine that it looks like it.”
At 23 years old, Swiatek becomes the first woman to reach the Indian Wells quarter-finals in four consecutive years since Karolina Pliskova, who achieved the same feat from 2016 to 2019.
Swiatek’s impressive performance at Indian Wells further solidifies her status as one of the top players in the world.
With her dominant play and record-setting consistency, she continues to make a strong case for a third title in California.
As she prepares to face Zheng Qinwen in the next round, Swiatek remains on track to add another remarkable achievement to her already impressive career.
