TENNIS: Swiatek routs Muchova to reach Indian Wells quarter-finals

World number two Iga Swiatek cruised to a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Czech 13th seed Karolina Muchova in the fourth round of the Indian Wells tournament on Wednesday, showcasing a dominant performance in the California desert.

Swiatek, the Polish star, won 10 consecutive games to secure her fifth career win over Muchova, whom she also defeated at the same stage last year.

“I felt I was playing better and better, just great,” Swiatek said in her on-court interview. “I love playing here, I love the conditions. I started to understand them a bit better a couple of years back, and since then it feels like I can really use my advantages here. It's a great place to play tennis, hopefully I can keep doing that until the end.”

The two-time Indian Wells finalist is now set to face either Katerina Siniakova or Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals, as she aims for her third title at the tournament.

In the men’s draw, 2021 champion Cameron Norrie defeated Australia’s Rinky Hijikata 6-4, 6-2. The 27th-seeded Briton extended an impressive week after previously upsetting sixth seed Alex de Minaur. Norrie will face either world number one Carlos Alcaraz or Norway’s Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals.

-Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City; editing by Pritha Sarkar/Reuters