World No. 9 Zheng Qinwen defeated Kostyuk in the fourth round of the Indian Wells Open to advance to the quarterfinals, where she will face defending champion Swiatek in the quarterfinals. The Polish superstar has been on a hot run at the tournament, dropping just six games in his first three matches, with the second seed dropping just six games in his first three matches.

Swiatek comfortably defeated 15th seed Mukhova 6-1 6-1 in the previous round. Similarly, she also defeated Yastremska and Garcia in the previous two rounds to advance to the quarter-finals. She has won all of her matches in straight sets, and the advantage is enough to prove her current strong form.

Former world No.1 Swiatek is aiming for her third trophy at Indian Wells, while China's Zheng Qinwen will face a tough battle in the quarter-finals. This season, she reached her personal best at Indian Wells, reaching the quarterfinals for the first time. In addition, she also did not drop a set in the match.

In addition to the first-round bye, Zheng Qinwen defeated Azarenka and Sun Lulu in the second and third rounds, respectively. She defeated 18th seed Marta Kostyuk 6-3 6-2 in straight sets in the fourth round to advance to the quarterfinals.

After the match, Zheng Qinwen spoke in a courtside interview about the upcoming match against Swiatek. "Well, I don't think it's anything to worry about," she said. Whether it's her or me, we're going to give it our all. Because she won the first three games in Indian Wells very easily, she was in good shape. It's the same with me, we'll all give it our all and see what happens in the next game. ”

The pair last met in the semi-finals of last year's Paris Olympics, when Zheng defeated Swiatek in straight sets 6-2 7-5 for her first time in seven meetings with the five-time Grand Slam champion.

The two players are in great form at the moment, making this quarter-final a highly anticipated matchup. Zheng will be hoping to beat Swiatek in another upset, while the Polish star will be looking for revenge in this matchup.

Former world No. 5 Zheng Qinwen has spoken about the two players he wants to make friends with on the tour. She didn't give a specific name, but fans took to social media to speculate that one of them could be Swiatek. She once said: "Actually, there are two people in the tennis world that I really want to make friends. But I haven't taken that step yet, so I'll talk about it when I do. ”

Some fans even hope that the two will become friends. However, often misinterpreted as cold and distant, Zheng has expressed her thoughts on the traditional post-match handshake. Due to his relatively cold attitude in the online communication after the game, Zheng Qinwen was once criticized, and even considered unfriendly by some fans.

Her point is that it doesn't have to be a smile when shaking hands. She further explained that it's not easy to force a smile to congratulate your opponent after a loss, especially when you're still feeling pain inside. Of course, she also acknowledges the need to respect her opponent, but doesn't believe that she has to smile or hug her opponent every time.

At a press conference for the 2025 Australian Open, Zheng Qinwen talked about his thoughts on the post-match handshake and hug. "Well, I always shake hands with my opponents because I don't think basic respect has anything to do with winning or losing. Whether I win or lose, I shake hands, but not always with a smile. I know myself. She said.

While Zheng agrees with shaking hands with her opponent after the match, she has a completely different view of hugging. "Usually I don't hug my opponent very often because I don't feel like it's necessary for me. I'm just here to play, and if I lose, I'll give basic respect and that's it. So you don't see me having a happy face after losing a fight. It would be weird if one day you saw me lose a match and face my opponent with a smile, it means that that fight doesn't matter to me. She added.(Source: Tennis Home Author: Spark)