Swiatek storms into Indian Wells quarterfinal against Wozniacki

Iga Swiatek, the top seed, effortlessly defeated Yulia Putintseva with a score of 6-1, 6-2 on Tuesday, advancing to the Indian Wells quarter-finals to face the ex-world number one, Caroline Wozniacki. Swiatek initially encountered some resistance, fending off four break points early in the match before hitting her stride and quickly leading 5-1, much to Putintseva’s dismay, who expressed her frustration by tossing her racket.

The 2022 champion, Swiatek, continued her dominance into the second set. Despite Putintseva’s more aggressive play, Swiatek, the world’s leading player at just 22, remained too formidable. Swiatek, who lost her service twice in the latter set, emphasized her focus on maintaining her game plan amidst Putintseva’s tactical shifts.

Wozniacki, who made a comeback last year after retiring in 2020 for family reasons, overcame Angelique Kerber 6-4, 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals. Swiatek spoke highly of Wozniacki, acknowledging her vast experience and impressive return to form post-maternity break.

Wozniacki expressed excitement at progressing to the quarter-finals at Indian Wells for the first time in four years, cherishing the opportunity to play again.

In other matches, Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk moved past Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova with a 6-4, 6-1 victory, setting up a quarter-final match with Anastasia Potapova, who overcame Jasmine Paolini in a match that ended 7-5, 0-6, 6-3. Kostyuk, who served efficiently and broke Pavlyuchenkova five times, is thrilled about reaching her first WTA 1000 event quarter-final. She attributed her comfortable win to the recent play against Pavlyuchenkova and the favorable conditions at Indian Wells that suited her game better than in San Diego.

Potapova’s victory over Paolini, the Dubai champion, marked her entry into her first Masters quarter-final, ending Paolini’s eight-game winning streak.