And then there were eight — men and women. All singles quarterfinals will take place on Thursday at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, with the game’s biggest stars bidding for coveted semifinal spots this weekend. Six of the eight matchups are set, with the remaining two to be confirmed once the final results become official.

[1] Carlos Alcaraz vs. Cam Norrie [27]

Undefeated at 15-0 on the season, Alcaraz has proven to be an unsolvable puzzle for his peers on the ATP Tour. Next up is 2021 champion Norrie, who has earned victories in three of his last five meetings with the 2023 and 2024 champion. Alcaraz has won five of their eight matches overall against the southpaw, but their lifetime head-to-head suggests that Thursday’s clash could be tricky for the World No. 1.

[2] Jannik Sinner vs. Learner Tien [25]

Sinner has won five of the six ATP Masters 1000 hard-court titles and would love to complete the set here in Tennis Paradise. After withstanding a fierce challenge from 19-year-old Joao Fonseca in two tie-breaks Tuesday night, the Italian faces another precocious talent in Tien.

The 20-year-old SoCal native came here as a youngster more interested in getting his hands on a frozen lemonade than watching matches. But he now finds himself as the last American standing, and his silky left-handed game — known for easy redirection and sneaky angles — will present Sinner with a very different matchup.

[4] Alexander Zverev vs. Arthur Fils [30]

Zverev, the clinical German, and Fils, the French showman, have gone the distance in four of their six career meetings, and Thursday’s quarterfinal is shaping up as another epic battle. Zverev, a winner of seven ATP Masters 1000 titles, leads their series 4-2 and is looking to equal his best run here by reaching the semifinals for a third time.

Fils, who upset ninth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the third round after rallying from 0-5 in the second-set tiebreak, won his only outdoor hard-court meeting with Zverev in Miami last year. After missing eight months with a lower back injury, he is rapidly working himself back into his best form.

[2] Aryna Sabalenka vs. Victoria Mboko [10]

Rising Canadian Mboko reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal in January at the Australian Open, where she was stopped by World No. 1 Sabalenka. Ahead of their next meeting, Mboko hopes to take what she learned from the 6-1, 7-6(1) defeat.

“I think it was a big eye-opener playing her in the Australian Open,” Mboko said. “I'd say coming into this match, of course, I played her already, so I know what to expect.”

Mboko bids for the semifinals on her tournament debut, while two-time finalist Sabalenka is still searching for her first title in the California desert.

[14] Linda Noskova vs. [Q] Talia Gibson

A clash of 21-year-olds — one established and the other experiencing a fairy-tale run — will finish with a first-time WTA 1000 semifinalist. Will it be the more experienced Czech Noskova, who was absolutely flawless during her 6-2, 6-0 win over Alexandra Eala on Tuesday night, or the suddenly surging Gibson, the No. 110-ranked qualifier who had just two WTA-level wins to her name before defeating four Top 50 players in succession in her main draw debut?

[2] Iga Swiatek vs. Elina Svitolina [9]

Nobody seems to enjoy the conditions at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden more than two-time champion Swiatek. She was comfortable and confident as she deconstructed Karolina Muchova’s artful game on Wednesday. With a 25-3 career record in the California desert, the World No. 2 will be the heavy favorite against Svitolina, who has one win in five tries against the Pole — that victory coming on Wimbledon’s grass in 2023.