Keys Advances to BNP Paribas Open Semifinals with Dominant Win

INDIAN WELLS, California — Madison Keys extended her winning streak to 16 matches on Thursday, easily advancing to the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over wild-card entry Belinda Bencic. The match lasted just 65 minutes and showcased Keys’ dominance as she prepares for a highly anticipated showdown with top seed Aryna Sabalenka.

Keys, the reigning Australian Open champion and fifth seed at Indian Wells, previously defeated Sabalenka in three sets during their encounter in January at Melbourne Park, denying her a third consecutive title.

“I’m really excited,” said Sabalenka regarding her upcoming match with Keys. “I really hope I can do a little bit better than I did in Australia.”

Bencic, the 28-year-old from Switzerland, entered the match on a high after upsetting fourth seed Elena Rybakina in the fourth round. However, she struggled against Keys, who took control from the outset.

In men’s action, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz overcame a 4-1 deficit in the second set to secure a 6-3, 7-6(4) win, advancing to the semifinals for the third consecutive year.

The semifinal round will also feature Iga Swiatek, who has reached this stage for the fourth consecutive time in her quest to become the first woman to win the tournament three times. Swiatek, the number two seed, defeated eighth-seeded Zheng Qinwen of China 6-3, 6-3 in a rematch of last summer’s Olympic semifinal.

Swiatek, the defending champion with a current 10-match winning streak at Indian Wells, reflected on her performance, stating, “At the end, it got really windy, which made it super tricky. Especially when the conditions change during the match, you need to adjust quickly, and it’s not that easy.”

Next, Swiatek will face 17-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva, who flawlessly navigated past Ukrainian Elina Svitolina with a decisive 7-5, 6-3 victory. Andreeva is the youngest woman to reach the Indian Wells semifinals since Maria Sharapova in 2005.

Alcaraz will next compete against British player Jack Draper, who defeated American Ben Shelton 6-4, 7-5 in a match featuring two left-handed players. Shelton, at 22, became the youngest American man to reach the quarterfinals at Indian Wells since 2004.

Additionally, fifth seed Daniil Medvedev remains in contention for his third final appearance, needing 2 hours and 25 minutes to secure a 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(7) victory while weathering gusty winds that interrupted play.

Medvedev’s upcoming opponent is Hubert Hurkacz, who rallied for a spot in the semifinals with a 5-7, 6-0, 6-3 win over Dutch player Timo de Klerk. The tournament’s final rounds promise exciting matchups as players vie for the prestigious title.