India, March 14 -- Iga Swiatek demonstrated her dominance by defeating her long-time rival Zheng Qinwen in the quarter-finals of the ongoing Indian Wells tournament on Friday. Swiatek secured a straight-sets victory with a score of 6-3, 6-3, avenging her loss to Qinwen in the semi-finals of last year's Paris Olympics.

Following her victory, Swiatek was inquired whether her bronze medal from the Paris 2024 Olympics served as motivation against her Chinese competitor.

In her reply, the Polish star indicated that the previous defeat fueled her determination to succeed in the quarter-finals. 

"Absolutely, it does. I want to prove to myself and everyone that I can achieve this. I was aware of my capabilities before the Olympic match, and I still am now. Losing to anyone is never pleasant, so naturally, there is a desire for a bit of, I don't know, revenge, but it’s not personal. I believe every player feels that way against those they have lost to in the past," she stated.

As the defending champion at Indian Wells, Swiatek's quarter-final win marked her as the first player in the tournament's history to reach the semifinals for four consecutive years. This victory also marked her tenth straight win at Indian Wells.

Reflecting on the match, she noted, "Towards the end, the wind picked up, which made things quite challenging. You have to adapt quickly, and that’s not easy. However, I am pleased that I maintained my intensity until the end. I aimed to stay composed and focused, and I am glad I accomplished that."

Swiatek is now the third player to win her first four quarter-finals at the WTA 1000 level, joining the ranks of Monica Seles and Maria Sharapova. Throughout this tournament, she has only conceded 12 games, the fewest among players who have played at least four matches to reach this stage, alongside Lindsay Davenport (2004), Justine Henin (2006), and Jelena Jankovic (2008).

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