Swiatek and Rybakina Dominate to reach Indian Wells fourth round
INDIAN WELLS, California: Defending champion Iga Swiatek delivered a ruthless performance to dismantle Dayana Yastremska 6-0, 6-2 and storm into the fourth round of Indian Wells on Sunday. The second-seeded Pole, aiming to become the first woman to win the tournament three times, needed just 65 minutes to dispatch her Ukrainian opponent.
Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion, raced through the first 10 games and showed no signs of slowing down despite admitting some fatigue toward the end. “At the end, I got a bit tired, it’s always hard to finish a match like that, but I’m happy that I kept my intensity up in the last game,” she said.
This was Swiatek’s second dominant win of the tournament, having beaten Caroline Garcia 6-2, 6-0 in her opening match. However, she has not lifted a trophy since her French Open triumph in 2024, marking her longest title drought since her maiden major victory in 2020.
Joining her in the fourth round is 2023 champion Elena Rybakina, who also made a statement with a commanding 6-0, 7-5 victory over Britain’s Katie Boulter. The fourth-seeded Kazakh cruised through the first set before facing resistance in the second but sealed the win to continue her quest for a second Indian Wells title.
