INDIAN WELLS (AFP) — Defending champion Iga Swiatek edged closer to an unprecedented third straight Indian Wells WTA title Sunday, overwhelming Dayana Yastremska 6-0, 6-2 to reach the fourth round.
The world No. 2 from Poland was in full control against the hard-hitting Ukrainian, swinging freely as she won the first 10 games.
She converted six of her 11 break chances and didn’t face a breakpoint herself and it felt like it was all over by the time Yastremska got on the board with wins in her last two service games of the match.
“It’s always hard to finish a match like that,” Swiatek said.
“But I’m happy that I got my intensity up in the last game and closed it with confidence because for sure it was a great match.”
Swiatek, who lifted the trophy in 2022 and 2024, owns a 20-2 record in the California desert, giving her a winning percentage second only to that of Martina Navratilova, who was a perfect 10-0 here and is the only woman to win back-to-back titles — in 1990 and ‘91.
“I had control from the beginning so I’m happy with the performance for sure,” added Swiatek, who wrapped up the win in 65 minutes.
Russian Daniil Medvedev, runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz the last two years, was off the court even faster after 20-year-old American opponent Alex Michelsen retired because of illness after dropping the first two games.
Having dispatched Bu Yunchaokete in straight sets in his opening match, Medvedev said he had been looking forward to playing Michelsen in front of the Californian’s home crowd.
“I think it would have been an interesting match,” he said.
“Food poisoning or something like this, these things happen,” added Medvedev, who was headed to the practice courts to tune up for a fourth-round clash with 10th-seeded American Tommy Paul.
Paul beat Britain’s 2021 Indian Wells winner Cameron Norrie, now ranked 77th in the world, 6-3, 7-5.
Tallon Griekspoor, the world No. 43 who shocked world No. 2 and top seed Alexander Zverev in the second round, backed up his big win with a 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 victory over France’s 29th seed Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
Griekspoor fired 10 aces, dominating the first set tiebreaker after an early exchange of breaks.
He didn’t face a break point in the second set, breaking his 21-year-old opponent on the way to a 5-2 lead and securing the win on his second match point.
Griekspoor said he had little trouble refocusing after his victory over Zverev after several near-misses against the German.