INDIAN WELLS - Elina Svitolina sent two-time champion Iga Swiatek spinning out at Indian Wells on Thursday to line up a semi-final meeting with Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina.
Ninth-ranked Ukrainian Svitolina surged home to beat world number two Swiatek 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 while Rybakina thwarted Jessica Pegula's comeback bid in a 6-1, 7-6 (7/4) victory over the fifth-ranked American.
Svitolina's aggressive attack was too much for Swiatek, who coughed up eight double faults and looked out of sorts in the early going.
The experienced Svitolina made the most of the early chances she was given then held her nerve in a tense third set.
She gained the lone break of the final frame as she won the last three games to take the match.
"I wouldn't say it was the perfect match, but I could stay in the match and fight and find a way after losing second set," Svitolina said.
"There is no champion who is waiting for the mistakes, and you have to really try to set up yourself in a good position to attack," she added. "I was trying to really open up the court and try to take the advantage, because Iga is such an aggressive player, and she moves really well. So if you don't take the opportunity, she's going to take it."
Svitolina closed it out in style, giving herself a match point with an ace and nailing a forehand volley to reach the Indian Wells semi-finals for the first time since 2019.
"You make me feel a bit old with that stat," quipped the 31-year-old Svitolina, who returned to the top 10 in the world rankings in February for the first time since 2021 and the first time since becoming a mother.
It was just her second career win over Swiatek in six meetings and her first since 2023. But the victory continued a rich run of form in 2026 that has seen Svitolina capture the title in Auckland and finish runner up in Dubai last month.
For six-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek it was another disappointing quarter-final exit this year after she fell at the same stage in the Australian Open and in Doha.