In the sunny realm of Indian Wells, California, Iga Swiatek kicked off her defense of the BNP Paribas Open title with an impressive display. On Friday, she overpowered Caroline Garcia with a scoreline of 6-2, 6-0, setting the tone for what promises to be an exciting tournament ahead.
Next up for Swiatek, who is seeded second and hails from Poland, is a face-off with Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska. Yastremska made a strong statement of her own by ousting Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in straight sets earlier in the day.
Meanwhile, Elena Rybakina, who last captured the title here in 2023, didn’t miss a beat in her return to Indian Wells. She efficiently dispatched Suzan Lamens from the Netherlands with a tidy 6-3, 6-3 victory. Rybakina, a native of Russia now representing Kazakhstan, was absent from last year’s tournament due to illness but is clearly making her presence felt this time around.
Fans are also eagerly following Britain’s Katie Boulter, set to clash with Rybakina in the next round. Boulter showcased her resilience, battling past Romania’s Irina-Camelia Begu with scores of 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-0.
In other matches, American favorite Jessica Pegula, seeded fourth, and rising 17-year-old Russian star Mirra Andreeva, both secured spots in the next round with straight-set triumphs under the evening lights. Earlier action saw Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, seeded 18th, and Czech talents Karolina Muchova, seeded 15th, along with Katerina Siniakova, navigate their way into the WTA 1000 event’s third round.
Elina Svitolina delivered a heartfelt thanks to the Indian Wells crowd after overcoming American Ashlyn Krueger with scores of 6-1, 7-6 (8), 6-3. Despite facing an American opponent, Svitolina received robust support as she finally converted her ninth match point in the cold desert night. “I want to thank you for your support of Ukraine,” she expressed during an on-court interview. “It’s nice to get these little wins for Ukraine.”
As the 23rd seed, Svitolina is gearing up to meet either Danielle Collins or Hailey Baptiste in her next match. Her husband, Gael Monfils, was a supportive presence during her match, waving a Ukrainian flag above the Stadium Three court as she played, and he’s set to play American Sebastian Korda in the upcoming second round.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine three years ago, Svitolina has been vocal about her support for her homeland, and her statement of solidarity continues to resonate with fans around the world.
(Note: Content contribution from Reuters)
