Twice champion Iga Swiatek thrashed Czech Karolina Muchova 6-1 6-1 to reach the Indian Wells quarter-finals on Tuesday before men’s fifth seed Daniil Medvedev moved into the last eight with a 6-4 6-0 win over American Tommy Paul.
For Swiatek, victory continued her relentless march through the Californian desert tournament, where the Polish second seed has dropped only six games in her three matches.
In another late-starting match after several rain delays throughout the day, Medvedev needed only 12 minutes to claim the opening four games and recovered from a brief dip during the roller-coaster opening set to ease through.
A double break in the second set gave the Russian the momentum he needed to close out the victory and book a match-up with Arthur Fils, who got past Marcos Giron 6-2 2-6 6-3.
After waiting through a rain delay earlier, Swiatek took immediate hold of the momentum, sprinting through the first four games and not dropping a first-serve point in the opening set.
Muchova, who enjoyed an inspired run to the U.S. Open semi-final last year after recovering from wrist surgery, was unable to find her level in the second set as the mistakes piled up.
“Sometimes matches can be pretty weird,” Swiatek said.
“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.
“We practised last week and we had a pretty similar level. It’s tennis. Things like that can happen. But for sure I used my opportunities and I used to my chances and I was pretty focused and composed.
“It’s not easy, but I can imagine that it looks like it.”
Swiatek could face a sterner test when she meets Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen of China, who beat Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk 6-3 6-2 to close out the night session on the main court.
Kostyuk’s compatriot Elina Svitolina had earlier stunned fourth seed Jessica Pegula 5-7 6-1 6-2 in a match that was stalled for three hours.
Svitolina, the 23rd seed, will make her first quarter-final appearance in six years when she takes on Mirra Andreeva, who thumped 2023 champion Elena Rybakina 6-1 6-2 in a little over an hour.
Ninth seed Andreeva is on track for back-to-back Masters trophies after her run to the Dubai title.
Holger Rune, the 12th seed, secured a 6-4 6-4 victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas to end the Greek’s seven-match winning streak.
The Dane delivered the shot of the tournament to stave off a break point in the second set, producing an arcing ‘tweener from behind the baseline, sending the ball to the opposite baseline that an outstretched Tsitsipas was unable to retrieve.
“I stayed very committed on my game plan and mentally I was very good. That made the difference, how composed I could start. Because Stef is back in shape I think it is fair to say. It was a cool battle,” said Rune.
Rune next meets Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor, who defeated Japanese qualifier Yosuke Watanuki 7-6(4) 6-1 earlier to reach his first Masters 1000 quarter-final.
–Reuters
