Desert queen Iga Swiatek moves into quarters at Indian Wells

Second-seeded Iga Swiatek of Poland hopes her even-numbered yeaer streak continues at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif.

Swiatek won the title in the desert in 2022 and 2024 and reached this year's quarterfinals on Wednesday by routing No. 13 Czech Karolina Muchova, 6-2, 6-0 in the California heat.

The six-time Grand Slam champion split the first four games with Muchova before racing away with the final 10. The first service break was the most difficult as it required 16 points to accomplish.

Swiatek controlled the majority of the points with her strong forehand.

"I always want to be proactive with my forehand, because this is what gives me points," Swiatek said. "I think I just, you know, chose the right balls to go forward or to stay back and grind a bit more and play with more shape. I think just the decision-making was good today so I didn't rush, and I had, you know, just comfortable situations to do what I wanted to."

The Polish star excelled on serve, putting in 74% of her first serves and winning 23 of 29 of those points.

Swiatek will meet ninth-seeded Elina Svitolina in a Thursday quarterfinal.

In the other fourth-round match played to completion, fifth-seeded Jessica Pegula knocked off No. 12 Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, 6-3, 7-6 (5). Bencic had won her previous four matches and eight sets against Pegula, though they had not played since 2023.

Pegula served for the match at 5-4, but was broken in a five-point game. The tiebreaker featured nine lost serves, but the American prevailed after misfiring on two match points on her racquet.

"Really happy with today, being able to turn around my pretty poor record against Belinda," Pegula said. "So, you know, when you're able to figure that out and get over that hump, it's always a good feeling. Just excited that I was able to, yeah, accept that challenge and figure it out."

Pegula helped her own cause with four service aces in each set and only three double faults.

In Wednesday's other two fourth-round matches, the two unseeded players were forced to retire. When the Czech Republic's Katerina Siniakova had to bow out due to a right hip injury, Svitolina claimed a 6-1, 1-1 victory. Great Britain's Sonay Kartal could not finish in her 6-4, 4-3 (ret.) setback to third-seeded Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan.

Pegula will face Rybakina in the late quarterfinal match on Thursday.

--Field Level Media