Skip to content
BNP Paribas Open
  • Tickets & Packages
  • Tennis Paradise Experience
  • News
Get tickets

Indian Wells, California

March 6 - 19, 2023

Get tickets
  • The Tennis Paradise Experience
  • Tickets & Packages Toggle
    • Series Packages
    • Mini Packages
    • Travel Packages
    • Group Packages
    • Luxury Suites
    • My Tickets Account
  • News
  • Tournament Toggle
    • Competition Schedule
    • 2022 Results
    • 2022 Players
    • Venue ↗
    • History
  • Plan Your Visit
  • Health and Safety Protocols
  • Get Involved Toggle
    • Volunteers
    • Ball Crew
    • Employment Opportunities
  • Partnerships Toggle
    • Partners
    • Partnership Opportunities
  • Shop ↗
  • Contact
BNP Paribas Open Insider News
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
General News, WTA

Pole Position: Swiatek Advances, Books Spot in Indian Wells Final

Friday, March 18, 2022 - Iga Swiatek plays against Simona Halep in semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California. (Jared Wickerham/BNP Paribas Open)

by Richard Osborn
03/18/2022

No. 3 seed Iga Swiatek of Poland will play for the 2022 BNP Paribas Open title thanks to a 7-6(6), 6-4 defeat of 2015 champion Simona Halep on Friday night at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

It marked Swiatek’s 10th straight win and her tour-leading 18th overall in 2022. On Sunday, the Doha titlist will go for her second trophy of the year when she faces either defending champion Paula Badosa or No. 6 seed Maria Sakkari.

“In all my previous matches against Simona, I always felt like I had nothing to lose,” said Swiatek, who came into the match 1-2 against the Romanian, her most recent loss coming in the Round of 16 at the 2021 Australian Open. “I was never the favorite. In this one, I felt like my ranking is higher and, obviously, I’ve been playing well. I had to adjust to this different mindset and different mood when I was going on court.”

“It was stressful, for sure, but I wanted to fight until the end and be mentally stronger because she’s not giving up. I’m pretty proud that I did that.”

Get Tickets
Catch the Women's Final
Buy tickets

Both players had their chances in a seesaw opening set, which would feature a combined four service breaks and come down to a tiebreak. Once there, Swiatek, 20, saved two set points to steal the set, leaving her opponent to pulverize her racquet in frustration.

Swiatek, who last month claimed the WTA 1000 event in Doha, rallied from a set down to defeat Anhelina Kalinina, Clara Tauson and Angelique Kerber en route to the semifinals, but would need only two sets this time around. She broke for 5-4 in the second set, and subsequently served out the match in one hour and 49 minutes.

‼️ The Final Showdown ‼️#IndianWells pic.twitter.com/ybmR77ld7Z

— BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) March 19, 2022

Swiatek becomes the first Polish woman to reach the BNP Paribas Open final since 2014, when countrywoman Agnieszka Radwanska fell to Italy’s Flavia Pennetta, 6-1, 6-1. Swiatek’s new coach, Tomasz Witkorowski, formerly worked with Radwanska.

“We had some players on tour saying that they’re glad she’s not playing anymore because her tennis was always so difficult for them,” said Swiatek. “We have different styles, but it for sure would be harder to believe that I would make it when I was a kid if it wasn’t for her, because she was kind of the one who made that path first.”

Halep was appearing in her fourth semifinal in Indian Wells.

Friday, March 18, 2022 – Simona Halep plays against Iga Swiatek in the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California. (Michael Cummo/BNP Paribas Open)
Iga SwiatekSimona Halep
  • Share it with facebook
  • Share it with twitter
  • Share it with email
Popular news
  • 03/23/2022 Video: The Story of the 2022 BNP Paribas Open
  • 03/20/2022 22 for ’22: Tennis Paradise Takeaways
  • 03/20/2022 Fritz Snaps 21-Year American Drought, Wins 2022 Men’s Singles Title
  • 03/20/2022 Tennis Paradise 2022 in Photos
  • 06/01/2022 Tennis Paradise Standouts Headline Final Week of French Open Action
Recent news
  • 06/01/2022 Tennis Paradise Standouts Headline Final Week of French Open Action
  • 03/24/2022 Video: Taylor Fritz – Sunday, March 20, 2022
  • 03/23/2022 Video: The Story of the 2022 BNP Paribas Open
  • 03/21/2022 Elena Rybakina – Monday, March 14, 2022
  • 03/20/2022 Video: Rafael Nadal – Sunday, March 20, 2022
Related articles
Iga Swiatek

Halep, Swiatek Resurgent and Rising Ahead of Semifinal Clash

A decade may separate their birthdays, but Simona Halep and Iga Swiatek are more alike than different on the court. […]

Read more

WTA Second Round Rundown: Raducanu and Gauff Roll, Trio of Top 15 Seeds Tumble

Top seeded women’s stars began play on Friday with the WTA second round getting underway on a picturesque spring day […]

Read more

2020 French Open Champions Nadal and Swiatek Model Tennis Paradise Blueprint

From living icons cementing their legendary status to unheralded newcomers orchestrating career-defining breakthroughs; Tennis Paradise has consistently created some of […]

Read more

Post navigation

PreviousMonica Seles on Serena’s Legacy, Rafa’s Fire and the Power of Tennis
NextDouble Trouble: Previewing the Men’s and Women’s Finals
  • bnp logo
  • penn logo
  • fila logo
  • IW logo
  • emirates logo
  • Media
  • Contact
  • Partnerships
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy
  • California Privacy Rights
© 2022 BNP Paribas Open a Desert Champions LLC Event
Close
Get the latest updates
Get the latest updates from Tennis Paradise
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Subscribe