Elina Svitolina entered Thursday’s quarterfinal match with little success in her earlier conferences in opposition to Iga Swiatek, however she flipped the script in a giant approach, incomes a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 win in 2 hours and 9 minutes to reach her second Indian Wells semifinal and first since 2019.
Indian Wells: Scores | Draws | Order of play
With the victory, Svitolina earned simply her second win over the present World No. 2 in six conferences on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz degree, having final defeated her at Wimbledon in 2023. Since 2016, when she upset Serena Williams on the Rio Olympics, solely Elena Rybakina (14) has earned extra wins over Top 2 gamers than Svitolina (11). The end result additionally marks her tour-leading nineteenth win of 2026.
“There is no champion who is waiting for mistakes,” Svitolina stated of her mindset in her post-match press convention. “And you really have to try to set yourself up in a good position to attack. I was feeling good and I was trying to really, you know, open up the court and try to take advantage, because Iga is such an aggressive player, and she moves really well. So if you don’t take the opportunity at the right time, she’s going to take it.”
Svitolina sealed the victory with a late surge, breaking Swiatek within the penultimate sport of the third set earlier than holding at love to shut out the match. But it was her blistering begin on a day when temperatures reached upwards of 90 levels Fahrenheit that grabbed the eye of each the gang and, probably, Swiatek.
Set 1: Svitolina struck first, breaking instantly as Swiatek double-faulted twice and pushed a forehand large within the opening sport. She prolonged her lead to 3-0 after which 5-1 as Swiatek continued to battle along with her second serve. The Pole gained simply one among eight second-serve factors, permitting Svitolina to generate eight break factors within the opening body.
Though she was damaged as soon as, Svitolina broke thrice and closed out the primary set in just below 40 minutes.
Set 2: Swiatek rapidly reasserted herself, nevertheless, breaking for a 3-1 lead and consolidating with a maintain at love for 4-1 because the match hurtled in the direction of a decider. But Svitolina stated not so quick. She held serve to keep inside reach and broke again for 4-3, sealing that sport with a nifty get on the web that she put away for a winner. Remember that for later.
After Swiatek held for 5-4, a run of Svitolina errors handed the second set to the World No. 2.
Set 3: And so, for the primary time since their 2023 Wimbledon assembly, the pair headed to a decider. And after the break-fest that was the primary two units, it was solely becoming that the third started with eight straight holds. Both gamers confronted strain — Svitolina held from deuce within the opening sport, and Swiatek answered after falling behind 0-30 — however neither blinked.
The breakthrough lastly got here within the ninth sport, when a slight dip from Swiatek underneath Svitolina’s sustained strain left the door ajar. Swiatek saved one break level, however a backhand error on the subsequent handed Svitolina the essential break. The Ukrainian then held at love — chilly as ice — ending with one other clear put-away on the web to ship the World No. 2 packing and ebook her semifinal spot.
With the win, Svitolina stays undefeated in three-setters this season at 6-0. Only Victoria Mboko and Magda Linette (seven) have extra three-set wins in 2026.
In the semifinals, she’ll face Rybakina, who ended Jessica Pegula’s run of seven straight semifinals with a 6-1, 7-6 (4) victory Thursday evening. Svitolina is 3-3 in opposition to Rybakina and gained their most up-to-date assembly, in Madrid final season, in straight units. This can be simply their second hard-court assembly with the primary coming 5 years in the past on the Tokyo Olympics, a match additionally gained by Svitolina.
