Indian Wells: Swiatek will face Andreeva, Sabalenka meets the keys to the semi-finals

The reigning champion IGA Swiatek beat Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 6-3 Thursday, avenging her defeat in the semi-final of the Olympic Games against the Gold Medal of the Paris Games to reach the last four in Indian Wells.

The world’s number two in Poland will have the opportunity to avenge another loss upset in a confrontation in the semi -finals with Mirra Andreeva – the 17 -year -old Russian who amazed him in the quarter -final of Dubai last month on the way to become the youngest champion of WTA 1000.

The upper half of the draw will include another resentment match in the semi -finals while the world number one Aryna Sabalenka will face the Australian Open Champion Madison Keys – who denied Sabalenka’s offer for a third consecutive title in Melbourne.

Swiatek delivered another dominant performance as she continued her candidacy to become the first woman to win three titles in the California desert.

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Swiatek, who won his first title of Indian Wells in 2022, could also join Martina Navratilova as the only women to raise the trophy in the consecutive years.

After losing only two games in each of her first three games, Swiatek was broken twice when she faced her most difficult test so far, but won the victory with a fulfillment when she broke Zheng in Love in the last match after a brief shower at the end of the second set.

“It was a strange match with all the breaks and everything, but I wanted to be composed and really focused and I am happy to have done it,” said Swiatek.

Swiatek converted her five breakdowns – Zheng gave up her service twice in the matches she led 40-0.

Zheng only managed the late breaks in each set, but neither these hiccups nor the brief shower that pauses in the second set has proven many obstacles to Swiatek.

“In the end, he became really windy, which made him great,” said Swiatek. “When the conditions change during the match, you have to adjust yourself quickly and it is not so simple. I am happy to have pushed until the end.

Swiatek admitted that she was happy to avenge her Olympic defeat – a heartbreaking loss in the court of Philippe Chatrier where the Polish star won four French open titles.

“It is not pleasant to lose anyone, so it is sure that you want to have a little, like a revenge, but it’s nothing personal,” said Swiatek.

She can settle another score against Andreeva, who kept her offer for another prestigious title on the track with a 7-5, 6-3 victory against the Ukrainian veteran Elina Svitolina.

– Everything is different –

Andreeva completed 23 winners, breaking for an advance of 6-5 on the way to take the first set.

After Svitolina joined a deficit of 1 to 3 to level the second, Andreeva won the last three games.

“I really like the way I’m playing right now,” said Andreeva, but added that his recent victory over Swiatek would mean nothing when they see again on Friday.

“(Friday) will be a new day, a new match, new conditions, a new country,” she said. “Everything is different.”

Sabalenka to seeded Liudmila Samsonova 6-2, 6-3. | Photo credit: Getty Images

Sabalenka, seeded, beat Liudmila Samsonova 6-2, 6-3 to organize a meeting with Keys, who relaxed former number four in the world Belinda Bencic 6-1, 6-1.

As in his previous match, Sabalenka took a quick break. But she has won the next nine games to take an advance of 6-2, 3-1.

Samsonova fell a break when she leveled the second set at 3-3, but Sabalenka crossed three other games for the victory, rushing to a lampshaft winner on his first match point.

“I am really excited,” said Sabalenka, adding that the possibility of facing the keys again served as “motivation to recover this revenge”.

“She played very well there. I have not played my best and I am really happy that tomorrow I will have the opportunity to recover this revenge. “”

Keys, leaving a difficult victory for three sets against Donna Vekic, drew 30 winners to Ranger Bencic in just 64 minutes.

Keys now has a sequence of 16 consecutive victories as she tries to become the first American woman to raise the title in the California desert since Serena Williams in 2001.