Indian Wells: Swiatek, Pegula Advance to Quarterfinals

Iga Swiatek beats Karolina Muchova 6-2, 6-0, while Jessica Pegula defeats Belinda Bencic 6-3, 7-6(5) at Indian Wells.

Swiatek dominates Muchova, Pegula survives Bencic in Indian Wells action...

Iga Swiatek is on fire, cruising into the Indian Wells quarterfinals with a dominant 6-2, 6-0 win over Karolina Muchova. The two-time champion halted Muchova's eight-match winning streak, which included her first title since 2019 in the Qatar Open last month.

Smooth sailing for Swiatek ⛵️@iga_swiatek | #TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/2NChdFzmyo

— wta (@WTA) March 11, 2026

Swiatek's impressive form continues, having lifted the trophy in 2022 and 2024. She won the last 10 games, showcasing her exceptional skills on the court. Next up, she faces either Elina Svitolina or Katerina Siniakova in the quarterfinals.

“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.”

Iga Swiatek's next opponent will be either Elina Svitolina who forced Katerina Siniakova to retire after injury. Elina recently upset defending champion Mirra Andreeva in the third round. Meanwhile, Jessica Pegula advanced to the next round, beating Belinda Bencic 6-3, 7-6(5), securing her first win over the Swiss veteran after four losses.

Svitolina ➡️ Quarterfinals @ElinaSvitolina advances as Siniakova is forced to retire due to injury.#TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/AhBNCEH3bo

— wta (@WTA) March 11, 2026

Pegula was pushed to the limit by Bencic, who mounted a late comeback in the second set. Up 5-3, Pegula survived a break and a love service game from Bencic, who forced a tiebreaker.

In the tiebreaker, Bencic saved two match points, but Pegula stayed focused and closed out the win on her third opportunity, 6-3, 7-6(5).

Continuing the winning momentum 📈@JPegula | #TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/JtXcWw2vbl

— wta (@WTA) March 11, 2026

“She made me have to earn it today,” Pegula said.

“I felt like in the second set, when I got up there, I had a little bit of a lull where I had a couple of game points and I could have maybe finished the match.

“But she's a really good player and when you don't quite finish those off that's where she can come in, and that's what she did.”

Jessica Pegula's next opponent will be either Elena Rybakina, the reigning Australian Open champion and 2023 Indian Wells winner, or Sonay Kartal, an unseeded Briton. Rybakina is a strong contender, having won the Australian Open and being a previous Indian Wells champion. Kartal, on the other hand, is looking to make a statement as an unseeded player.