Iga Swiatek, a two-time champion, showcased her dominance once again at Indian Wells by defeating Karolina Muchova with a decisive 6-1, 6-1 score on Tuesday, securing her spot in the quarterfinals.
Entering the tournament as a former world No. 1, Swiatek has exhibited remarkable form, having conceded only six games since stepping into the California desert. Against Muchova, her performance was nearly impeccable, committing only four errors while racking up twelve winners, and she didn’t face a single break point throughout the match.
Swiatek is on a quest to become the first woman to claim victory at this prestigious 1000-level event three times, following a one-month suspension late last year due to a failed drug test.
After waiting for a rain delay to pass, Swiatek came out strong, rapidly taking the first four games without dropping a point on her first serve in the initial set.
Meanwhile, Muchova, who made an impressive comeback to reach the US Open semifinals last year after wrist surgery, struggled to find her rhythm in the second set, with errors accumulating.
Swiatek wrapped up the match in just 57 minutes, sealing her victory with an unreturnable serve. She now looks forward to facing either Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen from China or Ukrainian talent Marta Kostyuk, who play their match later. Also on the schedule, American fourth seed Jessica Pegula is set to go up against Elina Svitolina on Tuesday night.
Shortly after Swiatek’s triumph, rain resulted in play being suspended.
(This report includes information from Reuters.)
