Swiatek overcomes Zheng to reach Indian Wells semi-finals

INDIAN WELLS, California: Two-time Indian Wells champion Iga Swiatek avenged her Paris Olympics defeat to Zheng Qinwen with a commanding 6-3, 6-3 victory in the quarter-finals on Thursday. The world No. 1 displayed her dominance in the California desert, converting all five of her break points in a match that lasted 94 minutes and was interrupted multiple times to dry the court.

Swiatek, who lost to Zheng in the semi-finals of the Paris Olympics last year, adapted well to challenging conditions, including strong winds late in the match. “At the end, it got really windy, which made it super tricky,” she said. “I wanted to stay composed and really focused, and I’m glad I did that.”

With this win, Swiatek has dropped just 12 games in four matches at Indian Wells. She now faces 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva in the semi-finals after the ninth seed defeated Elina Svitolina 7-5, 6-3.