Swiatek surges at Indian Wells to book quarter-final with Wozniacki

 

[March 13, 2024]  (Reuters) - Top seed Iga Swiatek swatted aside Yulia Putintseva 6-1 6-2 on Tuesday to set up an Indian Wells quarter-final clash with former world number one Caroline Wozniacki.

Swiatek got off to a slow start and saved four break points in the third game before finding her groove. The Pole then raced to a 5-1 lead, prompting Putintseva to throw her racket to the floor in frustration, before wrapping the opener up in less than 30 minutes.

Swiatek, the 2022 champion, made early inroads in the second set and while Putintseva started going for her shots more the 22-year-old world number one proved too strong for her Kazakh opponent.

"I knew I had to keep my focus (in the second set), she was trying different stuff out there," said Swiatek, who dropped serve twice in the second frame.

"But I just really wanted to play my game and focus on what I want to do. I'm glad I did that."

Wozniacki, who returned to the tour last year after stepping away from the sport in 2020 to start a family, eased past fellow mother Angelique Kerber 6-4 6-2 earlier in the day.

"She's a really experienced player," Swiatek said of the 2011 champion. "I think she's playing great after her maternity break, she was fighting to come back.

"I have huge respect. It's going to be a nice match."

Wozniacki said she was relishing the opportunity to continue her run at Indian Wells, after making the quarters for the first time in four years.

"I'm just enjoying myself and I'm just thrilled I get another match in front of all of you guys," she said.

Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4 6-1 and next meets another Russian in Anastasia Potapova, who beat Jasmine Paolini 7-5 0-6 6-3.

Mar 8, 2024; Indian Wells, CA, USA; Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) first pumps after winning a point in her second round match against Donna Vekic (CRO) during the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-USA TODAY Sports

Kostyuk dropped only four points on serve in the match and broke Pavlyuchenkova five times to reach her first quarter-final at a WTA 1000 event.

Kostyuk had edged Pavlyuchenkova in a three-setter in San Diego earlier this month but had an easier time in their fourth round battle.

"It definitely helped that I played her (recently)," the 21-year-old Kostyuk, who reached the Australian Open quarters in January for her best result at a Grand Slam, told the Tennis Channel.

"The conditions were much better for my game here, the ball bounces much higher and it's a bit warmer. I didn't feel like I was in so much trouble like I did in San Diego."

Potapova booked her first trip to the quarter-finals of a Masters event with her win over Dubai champion Paolini, snapping the Italian's eight-match winning streak.

(Reporting by Rory Carroll and Shrivathsa Sridhar; Editing by Chris Reese, Peter Rutherford)

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