A rematch of the 2022 and 2024 women’s singles finals went the way of two-time champion Iga Swiatek on Tuesday afternoon inside Stadium 1. With late-afternoon shadows crossing the court, the No. 2 seed weathered several stretches of dynamic tennis from Maria Sakkari and found her way through for a 6-3, 6-2 victory.

“It was a great day,” Swiatek said. “We played two finals here, so it’s funny that two years later we can meet in the third round.”

Swiatek has dropped four of nine matches with the former World No. 3 (now No. 32), but she has Sakkari's number here at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Swiatek has never dropped more than five games in the pair’s three meetings in the California desert.

Today’s matchup came with some added pressure, though, as Swiatek dropped a 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 decision to Sakkari in the Doha quarterfinals last month. That defeat didn’t sit well with the six-time major champion.

“I really needed to analyze the Doha match,” she said on court after improving to 24-3 lifetime at Indian Wells. “I made some obvious mistakes there, and I felt that after the match, so I knew what I needed to focus on today, and I did that from the beginning until the end.

“I’m really happy with my performance and the way I was prepared.”

Pegula: Comeback Machine

American Jessica Pegula is dead set on a breakthrough at Indian Wells this year. Faced with a one-set deficit against former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, the No. 5 seed climbed out of the hole with a determined, tactical effort to advance to the round of 16, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

“To be honest, I didn't think I really played that bad at any point,” Pegula said. “I actually thought I played pretty well throughout the entire match. If anything, I was able to kind of pick up my level towards the end.”

In seven previous appearances in the California desert, Pegula has never passed the quarterfinal round — and that came five years ago. It’s a statistic she is eager to change.

She will face No. 12 seed Belinda Bencic in the fourth round. 2019 semifinalist Bencic defeated Elise Mertens, 6-2, 6-3, to reach the round of 16 for the fourth time.

“I don't think I have won a set off Belinda yet,” she said, referring to her 0-4 lifetime record against the Swiss. “That will be a challenge for me. I think I have become a much better player over the last six months, and I'm excited to challenge myself.”