Indian Wells: Iga Swiatek drops just one game in win over Claire Liu, Victoria Azarenka crashes out
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
ByEurosport
Published 12/03/2023 at 08:55 GMT
Iga Swiatek has got her Indian Wells title defence off to the ideal start, only dropping one game in her win over world No. 56 Claire Liu. Swiatek was ruthlessly efficient from the baseline against her opponent who won just 38 per cent of her points off her first serve. Swiatek will play Bianca Andreescu next and could set up a meeting with Emma Raducanu. Meanwhile, Victoria Azarenka is out.
Swiatek has to 'work on how to handle pressure' - Radwanska
Top seed Iga Swiatek began her Indian Wells title defence with a dominant 6-0 6-1 win over Claire Liu.
Swiatek won the first 11 games of the match and finished the one-sided contest in just over an hour.
Swiatek was ruthlessly efficient in just her second meeting against Liu. The world No. 1 won 57 of her 83 points and converted five of her nine break points.
“Coming back after such a great result last year is something else," Swiatek said in her on-court interview.
"I wanted to get my level of energy up a little bit, because it's the hardest thing to do when everything goes your way.
"For sure, Claire used that moment when I didn't play as aggressive that I should be, but I'm pretty happy that I was able to close it pretty fast."
The Pole will play No. 32 seed Bianca Andreescu in the next round after the Canadian came from a set down to beat USA’s Peyton Stearns 4-6 6-4 6-3.
Should Swiatek beat Andreescu in the third round, she will play either Great Britain's Emma Raducanu for only the second time or Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia.
Fourth seed Ons Jabeur fought back from a set down to beat Magdalena Frech 4-6 6-4 6-1 in one hour and 44 minutes.
Fifth seed Caroline Garcia is also through after a 6-1 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 win over Hungary's Dalma Galfi.
Reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina beat 2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin 7-6(6) 7-6(5) in two hours and 10 minutes.
The big shock of the day was the early exit of Victoria Azarenka. The two-time Grand Slam champion lost to Karolina Muchova 7-6(1) 6-3.
- - -
Stream the 2023 French Open live on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.com
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
/images.sports.gracenote.com/images/lib/basic/geo/country/flag/large/2214.png)
/images.sports.gracenote.com/images/lib/basic/geo/country/flag/large/2209.png)