Swiatek and Rune advance to Indian Wells quarter-finals

Photo : Reuters

Iga Swiatek played an excellent match and reached the quarter-finals of the Indian Wells tournament. She won easily against Karolina Muchova, losing only two games. Swiatek has been in great form and has lost only six games in her last three matches.

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The match was delayed due to rain, but when it started, Swiatek quickly took control. She won the first four games and did not lose a single point on her first serve in the first set. Muchova, who had done well in the U.S. Open last year after coming back from wrist surgery, could not play her best. She made too many mistakes in the second set, and Swiatek took full advantage.

Swiatek finished the match in just 57 minutes. She won the last point with a strong serve that Muchova could not return. With this win, she moved to the next round, where she will play either Zheng Qinwen from China or Marta Kostyuk from Ukraine. Their match was scheduled for later in the night.

After the match, Swiatek said she was happy with her performance. “From the start, I felt I was in control. I did not make too many mistakes and did not want Karolina to get into her rhythm. I am glad I kept my focus until the end,” she told reporters.

In another match, Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina and America’s Jessica Pegula were playing a close game. Svitolina was leading 1-0 in the final set when rain stopped the match.

In the men’s category, Holger Rune won against Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas with scores of 6-4, 6-4. Rune played an attacking game and did not give Tsitsipas many chances. This was Rune’s ninth time reaching the quarter-finals in a Masters 1000 event.

One of the most exciting moments came in the second set when Rune hit an amazing shot between his legs. The ball landed perfectly on the other side, and Tsitsipas could not reach it. The crowd cheered loudly for the incredible shot.

After the match, Rune said, “I followed my plan and stayed strong in my mind. That helped me win. Stefanos is playing well again, so it was a tough match. It was a great fight.”

Rune will now face Tallon Griekspoor from the Netherlands, who won against Japan’s Yosuke Watanuki 7-6(4), 6-1.

Later in the night, American player Tommy Paul was set to play against Daniil Medvedev, a former U.S. Open winner. The last match of the night would be between Zheng Qinwen and Marta Kostyuk. The winner of that match will face Swiatek in the next round.