After a very easy victory against Claire Liu and another one that was a little more worked against Bianca Andreescu, it is assumed that now the curves would have to come to Every Swiatek in this WTA 1000 de Indian Wells. The defending champion waits for Emma Raducanu in the round of 16, the star match that will close the curtain on the day this morning. Does the British arrive with enough confidence to face such a demanding match? Will the Polish pay the pressure of the moment? No one will want to miss that clash, but first we heard the World No.1 talk about her path in California and the way she’s thinking in recent months.
Second tournament win
“Without a doubt, it was a very close game, I’m happy to have played a game of these characteristics, because now I see how I can handle those situations after a couple of games that went differently. I think we both played well, I’m happy to have been more solid in the important moments”.
A tighter match
“Before the tournament, I thought it would be good to have some stressful moments on the court and then get over it. Then during the game you don’t think that, I was just trying to get in the right mindset and be smart about what worked and what didn’t. Now that my coach has also returned – he was not in Doha or Dubai – I wanted to also take advantage of his experience and his perspective. I’m happy with how I balanced everything, even though there was a moment in the second set where I made too many mistakes.”
Wiktorowski en la grada
“It was all tactical advice, I can’t reveal it here, but nothing really complicated. Above all it helps me to see everything from a different perspective, without emotions, to focus on what is working. Sometimes I have trouble figuring out exactly what I need to do, so this time it was pretty simple stuff, just pick up the pre-game talks and go through with it.”
Play against Andreescu
“I imagine that the rest of the players will also say it, but the most complicated thing about her is the way in which she changes the rhythm with those really high balls, I would say that that is the most complicated thing about her game. It seems like you can be aggressive playing against her, but on the other hand, she’s really good on defense and she lands some slices that are very tricky. You have to be prepared for everything.”
The turning point in 2023
“After the Australian Open I worked hard not to feel like I was playing not to lose, right now I don’t feel that way anymore. I remind myself many times, taking the pressure off myself, reminding myself that I’m out there to run, to take longer exchanges, not expect every shot to be perfect. I just changed my thinking, I love delving into everything tennis, but there was a fuss about the rankings that kept my head busy for a while.
Raducanu in quarterfinals
“After the match we had in Stuttgart, I already know how the hits of his racket feel, we hadn’t even trained together before. That experience helps, although this time we will meet on hard courts, not on clay, although we all know that the surface here is slower. I think I have to take care of the tactic anyway, we’ll see. Every day is different, you know, the game in Stuttgart happened almost a year ago, it’s a long time”.
Expectations in the season
“My goal is simply to give 100% and focus on the process, not the results. Also, I also want to trust myself and my tennis a little more, not always be influenced by what happens during the match, sometimes it’s easier when you feel like it’s not all on your shoulders.”
