Swiatek's semi-final defeat to Andreeva at the Indian Wells Open on Friday was also dramatic.Swiatek is the defending champion of the tournament and has won the event twice – in 2024 and 2022. Prior to her semi-final match against Andreeva, she defeated the likes of Garcia, Yastremska, Mukhova and Zheng Qinwen.

However, the match against Andreeva was a whole new challenge for the Pole. The 17-year-old Russian had a strong first set, beating the defending champion 7-6(1). Although Swiatek staged a comeback in the second set to allow Andreeva to win just one game, she was unable to continue her momentum in the deciding set. The 23-year-old was at a disadvantage in the deciding set, being broken in the first service game.

As the match wore on, Swiatek's emotions grew, visibly frustrated with herself and her team. At one point, she angrily smashed the ball the caddie gave her to the ground. The caddie seemed frightened as the ball bounced straight into the stands where her team was.

Andreeva eventually extended her lead in the deciding set to cross the finish line 7-6(1) 1-6 6-3. She will face Sabalenka in the final in Indian Wells.

And off the court, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk made a mysterious comment about Andreeva's victory over Swiatek. Defending champion Swiatek was furious after he was knocked out of the tournament.

Ukraine's war with Russia has made global headlines, and its repercussions have spilled over into the tennis world. Although no restrictions have been imposed on the players, the flags of countries such as Russia and Belarus will not appear during the broadcast of the match.

When Sabalenka and Andreeva advanced to the final, Tusk asked the question.

"Russia and Belarus beat Poland and the United States to reach the Indian Wells final. I'm not happy. Guess why. But that's just tennis, isn't it? On Saturday, Tasker wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Swiatek's defeat showed that her form was getting worse and worse, with no title wins so far this season. She recently lost in the quarter-finals of the Dubai race to Andreeva, who went on to win the title.

However, after the match, the Pole praised Andreeva's performance,Swiatek spoke to Polish media outlet Canal Plus Sports about how she felt after the loss and what led her to perform the way she did. While answering these questions, she also praised her opponent, 17-year-old Andreeva.

"Mila plays very freely and without pressure. You can see she's not under a lot of pressure, she's definitely playing better and maybe more brave in key moments. Of course, I remember a couple of balls where I could have played better, but overall I thought it was a high-level game. She said.

She also added that the wind was another reason that could affect her race: "The wind played a big role. Sometimes, when she hits heavy balls downwind, it's hard for me to deal with. And when I'm downwind, I don't always be able to take advantage of it, maybe I should play a little bit more aggressively to balance the situation. ”

Ninth-seeded Andreeva will face top seed Sabalenka in the final in Indian Wells.(Source: Tennis Home Author: Spark)