In second round play at Indian Wells on Friday, world number one Iga Swiatek defeated American Danielle Collins 6-3 6-0, while 10th seed Jelena Ostapenko was stunned by Angelique Kerber and the reigning winner Elena Rybakina withdrew due to sickness.
At the Australian Open, Swiatek defeated Collins in a thrilling match, and as the two were serving, with the Pole up 4-3 in the opening set, it looked like they were ready for another thrilling match.
However, Swiatek upped her game, defeating her opponent 5-3 and winning the next nine games to go to the tournament that she won in 2022.
“I started to make a few less mistakes, which gave Danielle a chance to make a few more,” Swiatek stated.
“It may seem insignificant, but in the end, I was prepared to perform well during crucial situations, such as break points and similar situations. I’m glad I didn’t let Danielle’s actions over the net deter me from staying focused and playing my game.”
This is anticipated to be Collins’ final appearance in Indian Wells as the 30-year-old announced in January that she would retire at the end of the current season.
In2022, the American defeated Swiatek handily to advance to the Australian Open final and establish a career-high ranking of seventh in the world.
Kerber defeated the hard-hitting Latvian Ostapenko 5-7 6-3 6-3 to record her largest win in three years.
On match point, the German, who had been away from the circuit for eighteen months due to maternity leave, unleashed an unreturnable serve to secure her first victory against a top-10 opponent since November 2021.
The three-time Grand Slam champion responded, “I get asked this question a lot: why am I back and what motivates me?”
“My passion for the sport serves as my main source of inspiration. I enjoy competing, and it gives me everything to be out there in the crowd today and feel the emotions.”Now that my daughter is on my side, I find her much more inspirational, because tennis isn’t the only thing that matters.”
Another upset saw American Katie Volynets, 22, defeat sixth-seeded Ons Jabeur, 6-4, 6-4. Wozniacki, a Dane, defeated Donna Vekic, 7-6(5), 6-3, to set up a third-round match against Wozniacki.
Rybakina, the fourth-ranked player in the world who has been having an amazing season, had to withdraw from the match on Friday “with great sadness” because of stomach problems.
Players from Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia, the Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, and the seventh-seeded Czech Marketa Vondrousova were among those who progressed to the third round of the WTA 1000 event in the California desert.