Indian Wells: Iga Swiatek betters Bianca Andreescu; Emma Raducanu up next in 4R

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Iga Swiatek fought off a valiant Bianca Andreescu in their third-round match-up on Monday at Indian Wells to reach the round-of-16. The Canadian pushed hard against the 2022 BNP Paribas Open winner’s defences but came up short.

After two hours and seven minutes, the Pole prevailed 6-3, 7-6(1). Swiatek won 62% of her first-serve points to Andreescu’s 54%. Although she could win only 43% of her second-serve points, Swiatek scored better on second-serve returns, winning 77% points.

Both players faced eight break points each. Swiatek saved four of these while converting five on Andreescu’s serve. After the match, Swiatek shared, “It was a really tight match, and I'm really happy that I actually played such a tight match, because now I see how I can handle those situations after couple of matches that were kind of one way.

I think we both played well. I'm happy that in those important moments, I was the one that was more solid”.

Indian Wells: Iga Swiatek's stacking of records continues

This was the second time Swiatek and Andreescu were playing each other.

Following this result, Swiatek now leads Andreescu, 2-0. Incidentally, both her and Andreescu have been crowned champions here. Andreescu won the event in 2019. For the three-time Slam champion, this win also means that she’s yet to lose a set in 2023.

Be it in her wins or her losses (Australian Open and Dubai Open), all of Swiatek’s matches haven’t been pushed to the deciding set. Meanwhile, looking to make it to the quarter-finals, Swiatek will play Emma Raducanu.

The Briton posted a strong 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 win in her third-round match against Brazil’s 13th seed, Beatriz Haddad Maia. This is the only third time in her career, Raducanu’s won three consecutive matches. The first time she did so was en route to her US Open victory in 2021.

Then, in 2022, Raducanu reached the semi-finals of the Seoul Open on the back of a good streak of performance. Ons Jabeur’s much-lauded Indian Wells return was cut short in the third round. Marketa Vondrousova, who upset the fourth seed in their second-round match at the Australian Open earlier this year, replicated the feat once again on Monday.

The left-handed Czech won 7-6(5), 6-4 after 91 minutes. Photo Credit: We are Tennis Twitter