(Indian Wells) The world No.1 and defending champion, Iga Swiatek, swept 6-2, 6-3 the Romanian Sorana Cirstea (83e), Thursday, to reach the semi-finals of the Indian Wells tournament, where the Kazakh Elena Rybakina, who had beaten her at the last Australian Open, awaits her.
The 21-year-old Pole, looking for a double in the California desert that only Martina Navratilova achieved in 1991-1992, never flinched against an opponent she had beaten in 2022 in Melbourne, for their first showdown.
Aggressive, sharp, sure of her tennis, Swiatek was conquering and dominating in the exchanges, never letting Cirstea believe in the feat, even when the latter broke in the first set to come back to 2-1.
This fleeting burst had the effect of remobilizing the Polish, winner of Roland-Garros and the US Open last year, who again accelerated the pace to pocket the first set.
The 32-year-old Romanian, who had snatched her qualification in the quarters, by thwarting the forecasts against the French Caroline Garcia (5e), tried to resist in the second set, after being trailed 4-0. She managed to take Swiatek’s serve again, but it was only to delay the deadline, sealed after 1:22 a.m.
“I started well in each round and I was able to finish cleanly, so…”, she summed up hot on the court, by way of satisfaction.
With this 16e victory of the season, all in two sets, Swiatek confirms his rise to power in Indian Wells.
But she will have to be wary of Rybakina, winner at Wimbledon last year and finalist in Melbourne in January. On her way, the Kazakh (10e worldwide) had shipped it out of the 8e of final. “Elena is playing very well, but I will be ready,” she warned.