Iga Swiatek sets up semi-final against Elena Rybakina at Indian Wells

In-form Iga Swiatek dispatched unseeded Sorana Cirstea 6-2, 6-3 to book a place in the semi-finals at Indian Wells where the world No 1 will play the Wimbledon champion, Elena Rybakina.

Swiatek, the tournament’s defending champion, broke Cirstea for a third time to grab the first set and sprinted out to a 4-0 second set lead.

Cirstea cut the lead to 4-2 but Swiatek was determined not to let her back in the set, crushing a forehand winner for a 5-2 advantage and sealing the victory two games later when Cirstea’s forehand went long on match point.

The Pole has yet to drop a set at Indian Wells and is brimming with confidence after winning a title in Doha last month.

“From the beginning of the tournament I felt this positive energy,” Swiatek said in an on-court interview. “The fans are really supportive. It’s not easy when you are the defending champion but I feel like I’m handling it pretty well and just playing my game.”

Swiatek will be out for revenge when she faces Rybakina, who handed her one of her three losses this season in the fourth round of January’s Australian Open.

Rybakina will play for a place in the final after surviving a stern test from Czech Karolína Muchová to advance 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-4.

Muchová smacked a backhand crosscourt winner to break serve in the first set for a 3-2 lead and, despite having played several gruelling three-set matches at the tournament and having her left thigh wrapped, looked fresh.

The hard-hitting Rybakina struck back when she converted her sixth break point opportunity of the set by pouncing on a weak approach shot from Muchová, who then could not get her volley over the net for 5-5.

In the tiebreaker momentum swung firmly in Rybakina’s favour when she sent a blistering backhand