Iga Swiatek is on course to win her second career Indian Wells Masters trophy, as she has romped through the competition thus far. And it took her a while to learn who her opponent in the final is.
The Polish international was waiting for the winner between Coco Gauff and Maria Sakkari, who were dueling in the semi-finals. Swiatek had to wait due to unforeseen circumstances beyond everyone’s control.
Elsewhere, SBOTOP is also here to recap Emma Navarro’s spectacular run here in Indian Wells, which has resulted in her making a sizeable jump in the updated WTA rankings.
Just in case you missed out on the latest tennis action, don’t fret, as we’re here to bring you the latest Indian Wells Masters 2024 updates.
Swiatek has been dominant in California
Believe it or not, Iga Swiatek is the first No. 1 seed to reach the Indian Wells Masters final since Serena Williams in 2016. Victoria Azarenka was the last top seed to win it all in 2012, and the Indian Wells Masters 2024 odds have faith in Swiatek to be the next one to do so.
That is because the Polish international has been spectacular all tournament long, beating every challenger in her way, all in straight sets. Overall, Swiatek has only lost 17 games in five matches.
After making quick work of Danielle Collins (R64), Linda Noskova (R32), and Yulia Putintseva (R16), Swiatek got a lucky break in the quarter-finals when she was given a walkover victory (6-4, 1-0, ret.) after Caroline Wozniacki retired because of a right foot injury.
Against Marta Kostyuk in the semi-finals, Swiatek showed her why she’s the top-ranked player in the WTA. Swiatek never faced a break point, only dropped 10 points on serve, only made six unforced errors, and struck 14 winners in the match.
In contrast, Kostyuk looked out of sorts, as she was broken five times in six chances and hit 23 unforced errors to her 17 winners. She appeared to struggle with her foot because, at one point, she needed a medical timeout, which only delayed the inevitable.
As Iga Swiatek bids for her third career WTA 1000 title as the world No. 1, her confidence is at an all-time high, which is never a good sign for her opponents.
Inclement weather and the bees causing delays
The semi-finals contest between Coco Gauff and Maria Sakkari was rescheduled because of a mix of inclement weather and an unprecedented bee invasion. Fortunately, that was no longer the case.
At 6:40 p.m. on Friday, there was a brief pause in play due to light rain. At the time, Coco Gauff led Maria Sakkari 4-3 in the first set, and Sakkari led 40-30 in the eighth game of the set. The match was paused again 40 minutes later since the rain continued to pour.
The medical staff has to check on Coco Gauff, as she reportedly experienced nausea during the delay, which gave her some time to recover.
In the continuation of their semis tiff a while ago, Maria Sakkari defeated Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-2, so she will take on Iga Swiatek in what will be a rematch of the 2022 final.
Prior to Friday’s pause in action, there was a swarm of bees on Stadium Court at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. At the time, Carlos Alcaraz was facing Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals, and the play stopped around 3:20 p.m. when the bees chased Alcaraz off the court. Play didn’t resume until after 5 p.m.
“I’ve never experienced something like that,” said Alcaraz. “I’ve never seen something like that.”
Alcaraz still managed to beat Zverev 6-3, 6-1, even after he was stung by the bees. He will face Jannik Sinner in the final.
Navarro got her first big break
The final word goes to Emma Navarro, who should get plaudits for a job well done here in Indian Wells. The 22-year-old American has improved to No. 23 in the WTA rankings after beating a couple of higher seeded opponents in this tournament.
After beating Lesia Tsurenko in the Round of 64, Navarro managed to upset Elina Svitolina in the Round of 32 and world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in the Round of 16 before losing to Maria Sakkari in the quarter-finals.
Emma Navarro has shown immense mental fortitude as she has become one of the toughest outs in tennis.
She now has an 11-2 record in three-set matches this season. And after an impressive run in Indian Wells, she has put herself on the radar for future big tournaments.
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