The BNP Paribas Open quarterfinals are set, promising thrilling matchups in Indian Wells. Wildcard Belinda Bencic stunned Coco Gauff, leaving Madison Keys as the only American remaining in the draw. Meanwhile, defending champion Iga Swiatek and 2023 finalist Aryna Sabalenka both secured their spots in the next round.
In the Australian Open round of 16, Coco Gauff edged out Belinda Bencic in three sets, but this time, she struggled to find her rhythm against the determined Swiss. Bencic, now a new mother, credited her improved fitness for the turnaround, telling the media, “I just kept on working also on the physical side. I felt like in the last matches in tournaments, I kind of was able to play back-to-back, some three-set matches, and am fresher every time, almost like it was before.”
Madison Keys will face Bencic for a spot in the semifinals, with their head-to-head tied at 2-2 since their first meeting in 2015. The American battled past an in-form Donna Vekic, 4-6 7-6(7) 6-3, to advance. Fresh off her maiden Grand Slam title in Australia, the fifth seed has embraced a newfound ease on court, making her an even greater threat, “I’m really enjoying myself out there, kind of riding the wave of momentum.”
In the first quarterfinal, top seed Aryna Sabalenka will face Liudmila Samsonova. The Belarusian cruised past British lucky loser Sonay Kartal, 6-1 6-2, to secure her spot. When asked whether her relatively short matches and favorable draw might leave her untested for the later rounds, the world No. 1 quickly dismissed the concern: “I’m not the only one who had straightforward matches. It’s tennis. Especially women’s tennis. Anything can happen. Score looks easy, but the matches weren’t easy. I think I had enough time on court, and I think I’m ready for that quarterfinal match.”
Seventeen-year-old rising star Mirra Andreeva is set to face 30-year-old Ukrainian Elina Svitolina in their first-ever meeting. The young player is excited to test herself against a player whose game she got to learn as a fan of the sport many years ago already: “At the US Open, she was playing against Simona Halep, and that was my first match that I watched live. I was watching their match and I was, like, ‘Yes, I’m going to play here one day’… I never thought if I’m going to play her or not. I just remembered that I wanted to play on that stadium, and I haven’t yet.”
Defending champion Iga Swiatek will take on Zheng Qinwen in a highly anticipated rematch. The Polish star holds a dominant 6-1 record against the Chinese player, but Zheng won their most crucial encounter—the 2024 Paris Olympics semifinal. Aware of the challenge ahead, the second seed is focused on making the right adjustments, “I need to learn from our last match and see also how she plays right now because it’s been a while since we played.”
Women’s quarterfinals at the BNP Paribas Open are scheduled for Thursday.
