Alcaraz advances, Swiatek sets up semis showdown with Andreeva

Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz fought off determined challenger Francisco Cerundolo 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) on Thursday to reach the semi-finals of the Indian Wells ATP Masters.

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Defending champion Iga Swiatek beat Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 6-3 on Thursday, avenging her Olympics semi-final loss to the Paris Games gold medalist to reach the last four at Indian Wells.

The world number two from Poland will get a chance to avenge another upset loss in a semi-final clash with Mirra Andreeva—the 17-year-old Russian who stunned her in the quarter-finals at Dubai last month on the way to becoming the youngest-ever WTA 1000 champion.

The top half of the draw will feature another semi-final grudge match as world number one Aryna Sabalenka takes on Australian Open champion Madison Keys — who denied Sabalenka's bid for a third straight title in Melbourne.

On another cold, blustery night in the California desert, Alcaraz battled back from 1-4 down in the second set, coming up with a break and two love service holds to force the tiebreaker as he kept his bid to join Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the only men to win three straight Indian Wells titles on track.