Iga Swiatek
defeated
Marta Kostyuk 6-2, 6-1 and returns to the final in
Indian Wells after
two years since she claimed the title. The world No. 1 is in her 10th WTA 1000
Final, with 7 titles and two runner-ups so far.
Kostyuk
came into the match in good form after reaching the quarterfinals of the
Australian Open a few weeks ago and now making her first WTA 1000 semifinals.
In the
first set, the world No. 1 appeared superior from the beginning of the match,
taking advantage of Kostyuk's low 36% first-serve percentage to dominate the
points from the return and long rallies. With the score at 1-1, Swiatek won a
streak of four consecutive games, setting the tone for the match.
Although
Kostyuk managed to hold her serve in one game, she couldn't do much from the
return to prevent Swiatek from taking the first set. The Polish player won 80%
of the service points and 50% of return points, also not giving any break
opportunities against her and capitalizing on her only two break points.
The second
set followed the same pattern as the first, with Swiatek controlling the points
from the baseline. She quickly secured a break and took a 2-0 lead. Then the
Ukrainian experienced problems with her left foot and struggled to finish the
third game.
The match
was paused with a medical timeout for Kostyuk, who apparently had issues with a
blister on her left foot, but she eventually returned to the court to continue
the match with the score at 0-3 after conceding her serve.
Upon
returning to the court, Kostyuk couldn't change the dynamics of the match,
continuing with several unforced errors while her opponent was playing at her
best level. A final break secured Swiatek's victory by 6-2, 6-1, and she
returns to the final in Tennis Paradise.
With her
place in the final secured, she awaits the winner of the match between Coco
Gauff (No. 3) and
Maria Sakkari (No. 9). Precisely, the Greek was Swiatek's
opponent in the 2022 final, where the Polish player claimed the title 6-4, 6-1.