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<\/p>\nAryna Sabalenka described Victoria Mboko as a “future Grand Slam champion” after holding off the Canadian teenager to maintain her bid for a first Indian Wells title, but two-time winner Iga Swiatek went out.<\/p>\n
Mboko pushed world number one Sabalenka hard in the opening set, but the Belarusian dominated the tie-break before finally cracking the 19-year-old’s serve in the fifth game of the second set on the way to a 7-6 (7-0) 6-4 win.<\/p>\n
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Sabalenka, a two-time runner up at Indian Wells, praised her opponent’s bravery and said she has “no doubt” Mboko is destined for great things.<\/p>\n
“A future star, a future Grand Slam champion, no doubt about that,” Sabalenka said of Mboko.<\/p>\n
“It’s incredible to see these young girls these days, how brave they are. They go out there, they go after their shots, they’re aggressive, they’re fighting.<\/p>\n
“It’s incredible to see and for sure we are going to play many more matches in the future.”<\/p>\n
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Four-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka will face 14th seed Linda Noskova in the semi-finals of the prestigious WTA 1,000 event, after the Czech ended Australian qualifier Talia Gibson’s run with a 6-2 4-6 6-2 victory.<\/p>\n
The 21-year-old Gibson, ranked 112 in the world and playing her first WTA 1,000 main draw, had become the first qualifier in 11 years to reach the quarter-finals of the tournament when she beat seventh seed Jasmine Paolini on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Swiatek, champion at Indian Wells in 2022 and 2024, was beaten in three sets by Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, who will face Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina for a place in the final.<\/p>\n
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World number two Swiatek, who will drop below Rybakina in the rankings next week, was beaten 6-2 4-6 6-4.<\/p>\n
Svitolina capitalised on a series of double faults to secure three breaks of serve and take the opening set in 38 minutes.<\/p>\n
Swiatek responded to force a decider, but ninth seed Svitolina secured the only break in a tight third set before closing out the match to reach the semi-finals for the first time in seven years.<\/p>\n
Third seed Rybakina progressed with a 6-1 7-6 (7-4) win over American Jessica Pegula.<\/p>\n
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‘Special’ to join Big Four in history books – Zverev<\/p>\n
Zverev has won seven ATP Masters 1,000 titles [Getty Images]<\/p>\n
Alexander Zverev said it felt “very special” to become just the fifth player to reach the semi-finals of all nine ATP Masters 1,000 tournaments and join elite company after he booked his place in the last four at Indian Wells.<\/p>\n
The German claimed a confident 6-2 6-3 victory over Frenchman Arthur Fils to reach the last four of the California-based tournament for the first time.<\/p>\n
By completing the set of Masters 1,000 semi-final appearances, Zverev joins a club featuring only the ‘Big Four’ of the men’s game – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.<\/p>\n
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“It’s very special to be one of five players in history to ever do it,” Zverev said.<\/p>\n
“For sure, yeah, it’s something that I’m very proud of.”<\/p>\n
Zverev has taken the title at five of the nine Masters 1,000 events, but he has never won a Grand Slam title despite reaching three major finals.<\/p>\n
The fourth seed will have to snap a five-match losing streak against world number two Jannik Sinner if he is to move one step closer to the Indian Wells trophy.<\/p>\n
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Sinner, the reigning Wimbledon champion, sealed his own spot in the semi-finals with a rapid 66-minute 6-1 6-2 win against American Learner Tien.<\/p>\n
The world number two, who is trying to become champion at Indian Wells for the first time, is also bidding for his first title of 2026 after a semi-final exit at the Australian Open and a quarter-final defeat in last month’s Qatar Open.<\/p>\n
World number one Carlos Alcaraz will face Daniil Medvedev in the other men’s semi-final, after both players overcame British opponents.<\/p>\n
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Alcaraz defeated Cameron Norrie 6-3 6-4 in their quarter-final, while Medvedev ended British number one Jack Draper’s title defence with a 6-1 7-5 victory.<\/p>\n
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