Iga Swiatek matches national record by crushing Madison Keys in Indian Wells quarter-finals
Iga Swiatek will become the joint highest ranked Polish player ever on Monday after she downed Madison Keys to reach the Indian Wells semi-finals.
Her 6-0, 6-1 victory means the 20-year-old will achieve a new career-high ranking of world number two after Indian Wells, leapfrogging Barbora Krejcikova of Czechia in the process.
With that rise Swiatek will match compatriot Agnieszka Radwanska as the highest ranked Polish player, man or woman, in the history of the ATP and WTA.
Radwanska peaked at the same ranking in July 2012 after she reached that year’s Wimbledon final, losing to Serena Williams in the championship match.
The win brings Swiatek to a WTA tour leading win-loss record of 18-3 so far in 2022.
In addition, the world number four is enjoying a win streak of nine after winning a second career WTA 1000 level title in Doha, Qatar before claiming four wins at Indian Wells so far.
Meanwhile, fellow national record-setter Hubert Hurkacz was in action in the men’s draw, though he had a less auspicious match.
The world number 11 fell to world number seven Andrey Rublev in straight sets 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 as his Indian Wells campaign came to an end.
Hurkacz set a Polish ATP record in November when he climbed to ninth in the world rankings.
That made him the highest ranked Polish man ever, one spot above previous record holder Wojtek Fibak who peaked at 10th in the ATP rankings back in July 1977.
Swiatek faces 2015 Indian Wells champion Simona Halep next after the Romanian registered her own dominant display in overcoming Petra Martic 6-1, 6-1.
Halep leads their head-to-head 2-1, including winning their most recent meeting in the fourth round of the 2021 Australian Open.
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