Dominant Swiatek into Indian Wells quarter-finals
Defending champion Iga Swiatek clinched her place in the Indian Wells quarter-finals with a 6-1 6-1 thrashing of Karolina Muchova.
Poland’s Swiatek is bidding to become the first woman to win the California tournament three times, having also sealed the title in 2022.
Swiatek’s match against Muchova was delayed by almost an hour because of rain, but it then took her just 57 minutes to secure a dominant victory in which she did not face a single break point.
The world number two has dropped just six games on her way to reaching the last eight and will face China’s eighth seed Zheng Qinwen next.
“Sometimes matches can be pretty weird,” Swiatek said. “It’s enough for one player to not feel perfect and the other feel great. Then suddenly the difference is much bigger than it usually is.
“It’s tennis. Things like that can happen. For sure I used my opportunities and I used my chances. It’s not easy, but, I can imagine that it looks like it.”
The 23-year-old five-time Grand Slam champion is the first woman to reach the Indian Wells quarter-finals for four consecutive years since Karolina Pliskova, who achieved the feat between 2016 and 2019.
Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina and Russian Mirra Andreeva won to set up a quarter-final meeting.
Svitolina needed five hours, including a near three-hour rain delay, to beat American fourth seed Jessica Pegula 5-7 6-1 6-2, while ninth seed Andreeva saw off Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina 6-1 6-2.
British lucky loser Sonay Kartal is due to face Belarus’ world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the last 16 on Wednesday.
Denmark’s Holger Rune ended Stefanos Tsitsipas’ winning run to reach the quarter-finals.
Tsitsipas, seeded eighth, had won his past seven matches taking in a maiden Dubai Tennis Championships title, but was beaten 6-4 6-4 in one hour 33 minutes.
The highlight of the match was a remarkable through-the-legs lob from the baseline by Rune to save break point in the second set.
Having reached the same stage in Indian Wells last year, the 21-year-old is the first Scandinavian since Stefan Edberg in 1994-95 to reach back-to-back quarter-finals.
“It was an extremely good match from my side from start to finish,” said 12th seed Rune.
“I stayed very committed on my game plan and mentally I was very good. That made the difference, how composed I could start. It was a cool battle.”
Rune will play Tallon Griekspoor in the last eight after the Dutchman beat Japanese qualifier Yosuke Watanuki in a rain-affected match 7-6 6-1.
Russian fifth seed Daniil Medvedev set up a quarter-final meeting with France’s Arthur Fils by beating American Tommy Paul 6-4 6-0.
British number one Jack Draper plays American third seed Taylor Fritz in the last 16 on Wednesday.