Top seed Iga Swiatek swatted apart Yulia Putintseva 6-1 6-2 to arrange an Indian Wells quarter-final conflict with former world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki.
Swiatek received off to a gradual begin on Wednesday (AEDT) and saved 4 break factors within the third recreation earlier than discovering her groove.
The Pole then raced to a 5-1 lead, prompting Putintseva to throw her racquet to the ground in frustration, earlier than wrapping the opener up in lower than half-hour.
Swiatek, the 2022 champion, made early inroads within the second set, and whereas Putintseva began going for her pictures extra, the 22-year-old world No.1 proved too robust for her Kazakh opponent.
“I knew I had to keep my focus (in the second set), she was trying different stuff out there,” mentioned Swiatek, who dropped serve twice within the second set.
“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 final yr after stepping away from the game in 2020 to start out a household, eased previous fellow mom Angelique Kerber 6-4 6-2 earlier within the day.
“She’s a really experienced player,” Swiatek mentioned of Wozniacki, the 2011 champion.
“I think she’s playing great after her maternity break, she was fighting to come back.
“I’ve enormous respect. It’s going to be a pleasant match.”
Wozniacki said she was relishing the opportunity to continue her run at Indian Wells, after making the quarter-finals for the first time in four years.
“I’m simply having fun with myself and I’m simply thrilled I get one other match in entrance of all of you guys,” she said.
Earlier, Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk crushed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4 6-1 to advance to the quarter-finals.
In the last eight she will meet another Russian, Anastasia Potapova, who was pushed to the limit before beating Italian Jasmine Paolini 7-5 0-6 6-3.
Kostyuk only dropped four points on serve and broke Pavlyuchenkova five times to reach her first quarter-final at a WTA 1000 event.
She edged Pavlyuchenkova in a tight three-setter at this month’s San Diego Open, but had an easier time in their fourth-round battle under sunny skies in the California desert.
The 21-year-old Kostyuk is seeded 31st at the tournament. She reached the quarters of the Australian Open in January for her best result at a grand slam.
Potapova also booked her first trip to the quarter-finals of a WTA 1000 event with her win over Dubai champion Paolini.
The Russian disappeared within the one-sided second set however recovered to snap Paulini’s eight-match profitable streak, sealing victory when the Thirteenth-seeded Italian’s backhand went large on match level.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
