WTA INDIAN WELLS
Iga Swiatek beat Maria Sakkari to win the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells on Sunday in a match that was tight at moments but never in doubt for the world No 1. Swiatek won 6-4, 6-0, taking out Greece’s most successful female player with a crisp efficiency that has become her trademark.
For Swiatek, the win gave her a second title at Indian Wells. It is certainly the most important hard court tournament outside of the Grand Slams, in part because it is one of just two mixed events that pay equal prize money.
Swiatek now moves on to the Miami Open, where she will try to pull off the so-called ‘Sunshine Double’ that she won in 2022, when she first claimed the top spot in the world rankings. She has been there for all but a few weeks ever since.
Swiatek won 12 of the first 15 points, but it was a competitive match for much of the first set. From 0-30 down on her serve in the fourth game, No.9 seed Sakkari won three straight games to level the first set at 3-3 — but from 4-4, the World No.1 found another level.
By the end of the match, she broke Sakkari five times and lost only five points in the second set. Behind 15 winners overall, Swiatek won 12 straight sets in her second BNP Paribas Open title run and lost just 21 games.