Rybakina vs. Swiatek, second semifinal pair in Indian Wells

In a rematch of the Australian Open round of 16, Iga Swiatek will take on Elena Rybakina in the second semifinal of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. In their last match, the player representing Kazakhstan won 6-4 6-4. Although Indian Wells is also played on hard courts, they play much slower than the Melbourne courts, giving Swiatek an advantage.

The tenth-seeded Rybakina was relieved and cheerful when she met with press after her hard-fought quarterfinal victory over resurgent Czech player Karolina Muchova. The final score was 7-6(4) 2-6 6-4.

The Wimbledon champion did not have an easy time under the hot sun with intermittent wind gusts. She said, “I was a bit low on energy. Didn’t move…