Iga Swiatek, who defeated Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 6-3 on Thursday, reversing her Olympic semi-final defeat to the gold medalist from Paris to reach the last four at Indian Wells.
In a semifinal matchup with Mirra Andreeva, the 17-year-old Russian who stunned her in the quarter-finals of Dubai last month and became the youngest-ever WTA 1000 champion, the world-record-holder from Poland will have a chance to avenge her previous upset defeat.
Aryna Sabalenka will face Australian Open champion Madison Keys, who had denied Sabalenka’s bid for a third straight title in Melbourne, in a second semi-final grudge match.
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Swiatek continued her quest to become the first woman to win three titles in the California desert with a strong performance.
Martina Navratilova and Swiatek, who won the trophy in back-to-back years, could also take the title of first woman to win it at Indian Wells in 2022.
After putting up just two games in each of her first three matches, Swiatek was broken twice in the final set, breaking Zheng at love in the process. The result was a triumphant comeback for the talented Swiatek, who had previously struggled with her most difficult test.
“It was a weird match with all the breaks and everything,” Swiatek said. “I’m glad I did that because I wanted to be composed and really focused.”
In games where Swiatek had a lead of 40-0, Zheng twice surrendered her serve to convert all five of her break chances.
Zheng did manage late breaks in both sets, but Swiatek didn’t really notice the hiccups or the brief shower that halted play in the third set.
It eventually became extremely windy, making it “super tricky,” Swiatek said. You have to adjust quickly when the circumstances change during the match, which is not easy. I’m glad I persevered until the very end.
Swiatek acknowledged that she was pleased to make amends for her heartbreaking defeat at the French Open, where the Polish star has already won four titles.
You want a little bit of revenge, you want to have some of it, but it’s not your own, said Swiftek.
Andreeva, who defeated veteran Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 7-5, 6-3 to keep her bid for another prestigious title on track, can settle for another score.
Every aspect of life is unique.
Andreeva won the first set by belting 23 winners before securing a 6-5 lead.
Andreeva won the final three games after Svitolina came back from a 3-point deficit to tie the game.
Andreeva said, “I really like the way I play right now,” but that their upcoming Friday meeting would be meaningless without her recent win over Swiatek.
“(Friday) is going to be a new day, new match, new conditions, new country,” she said. “Every aspect of life is unique..”
To start a meeting with Keys, who defeated former world number four Belinda Bencic 6-1, 6-1, 6-1, in a match between Sabalenka and Liudmila Samsonova, the top-seeded athlete won 6-2, 6-3.
Sabalenka took a quick break in her previous match. However, she held on for a 6-2, 3-1 lead over the following nine games.
Samsonova fought back to equalize the second set at 3-3, but Sabalenka rallied for victory by lunging for a backhand passing winner on her debut set.
Sabolenka continued, “I’m really excited,” adding that the chance to face Keys once more served as a “motivation to seek that revenge.”
She did a fantastic job there. I didn’t do my best, and I’m thrilled that I will have the opportunity to reclaim this vengeance tomorrow.
In just 64 minutes, Keys defeated Donna Vekic in a difficult three-set match to put away Bencic.
Keys is currently attempting to win the title in the California desert for the first time since Serena Williams in 2001 while continuing her 16-match winning streak.
Source: Channels TV
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