It will be two consecutive WTA 1000 finals in a row for Iga Swiatek, as the Polish star overcame Simona Halep to advance to the final at the BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells tournament.
The third seed survived a Halep comeback in the first set to prevail 7-6 6-4(4), relying on her attacking brand of tennis to escape with the victory. After both ladies exchanged breaks in the first set, Halep obtained another break to lead 5-4 and serve for the set. However, the Romanian was unable to fight past the determined Swiatek, who broke back before closing out the set in a tight tiebreak.
Swiatek quickly raced to a 2-1 lead in the second set, but Halep's fighting spirit and consistent play earned the Romanian a break back. Nonetheless, the 2020 Roland Garros champion overpowered the former World No.1 to secure another break, before serving out the match after an hour and 49 minutes.
The World No.4 has now reached her second straight WTA 100 final, after lifting the trophy in Doha last month. She will face the winner between defending Indian Wells champion Paula Badosa and sixth seed Maria Sakkari in the final.
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