Swiatek and Rybakina Serve up Bagels en Route to Victories at Indian Wells 

Iga Swiatek of Poland plays a backhand in her match against Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 09, 2025 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
Iga Swiatek of Poland plays a backhand in her match against Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 09, 2025 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Swiatek and Rybakina Serve up Bagels en Route to Victories at Indian Wells 

Iga Swiatek of Poland plays a backhand in her match against Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 09, 2025 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
Iga Swiatek of Poland plays a backhand in her match against Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 09, 2025 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)

Defending champion Iga Swiatek crushed Dayana Yastremska 6-0 6-2 and 2023 champion Elena Rybakina powered past Britain's Katie Boulter 6-0 7-5 to reach the fourth round of Indian Wells on Sunday with displays of dominance.

Swiatek, seeded second, is aiming to become the first woman to win the tournament three times and the Polish player looked eager to do so in as little time on court as possible, reeling off 10 games in a row and needing just 65 minutes to see off her Ukrainian opponent.

"At the end I got a bit tired, it's always hard to finish a match like that but I'm happy that I kept my intensity up in the last game to close it," she said.

"I had control from the beginning so I'm happy with the performance for sure."

It was Swiatek's second bagel set of the tournament after she overwhelmed Caroline Garcia 6-2 6-0 in her first match.

The five-times major champion has not won a title since her triumph at Roland Garros in 2024, her longest drought since winning her first major title in 2020.

She served a one-month suspension in October for a failed drug test and has seen Aryna Sabalenka take her world number one ranking but said the California desert is an ideal setting to get back to winning ways.

"It's amazing, I love coming here," she said.

"I already have my routine so it feels like home. It's for sure the place to be and a great place to play tennis."

Swiatek will face 15th seed Karolina Muchova in the round of 16 after the Czech player beat her compatriot Katerina Siniakova in the afternoon.

After cruising through the first set, Rybakina fell behind 5-3 in the second before regrouping.

She stretched to hit a sensational defensive shot in a game where she broke back for 5-5 and broke again on match point to seal the win.

Rybakina, who missed last year's tournament due to an illness, will play ninth-seeded teenager Mirra Andreeva in a rematch of their Dubai semi-final, which the Russian won in three sets en route to becoming the youngest player to win a WTA 1000 title.

Andreeva is coached by former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez, who the 17-year-old said was keeping her focused.

"She already told me that she booked a court at 12 p.m," she told reporters after her night match. "I see not much time passed from the match... she's just like this, but it's not bad."

Ukrainian Elina Svitolina upset 14th seed Danielle Collins 6-2 6-4 and will face another American, fourth seed Jessica Pegula in the next round after she breezed past China's Wang Xinyu 6-2 6-1.

Svitolina's countrywoman Marta Kostyuk beat American wildcard Caroline Dolehide 6-3 6-3.

MEDVEDEV, TSITSIPAS ADVANCE

On the men's side, Stefanos Tsitsipas showed off his impressive athleticism and defense, leaping for overheads and speeding around the court to beat Italy's Matteo Berrettini 6-3 6-3.

"I'm approaching these matches with determination and willingness to just leave it all out there on the court," Tsitsipas said.

"I want to get out there on the court and be a gladiator, and that's how I approach every single match I get to play."

The Greek eighth seed will face battle-tested Holger Rune after the Danish player dug deep to outlast Frenchman Ugo Humbert 5-7 6-4 7-5 with the backing of the crowd on center court.

"I tried to be brave," Rune said of his play over the final two games of the match.

"The energy on this court was truly amazing."

Daniil Medvedev was on court for just 10 minutes before his American opponent Alex Michelsen was forced to retire due to illness after two games.

The Russian fifth seed has lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the Indian Wells final the past two years, and the Spaniard is once again on the opposite side of the draw.

Medvedev will next face popular American Tommy Paul, who notched his 50th win at a Masters 1000 tournament with a 6-3 7-5 victory over Britain's Cameron Norrie.

Unheralded Japanese player Yosuke Watanuki was all smiles while upsetting American Frances Tiafoe 6-4 7-6(6) to notch the biggest win of his career.

"I tried to enjoy today," said Watanuki, who is ranked world number 349. "Even though I missed a terrible backhand, it is Indian Wells, center court. So even though I missed, I was happy,"

Tallon Griekspoor toppled 29th-seeded Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard on Sunday after stunning top seed Alexander Zverev in the previous round.

Griekspoor pounded 10 aces and broke Mpetshi Perricard's mighty serve twice en route to the win.

Southern California native Marcos Giron came from behind to beat Alexei Popyrin 5-7 6-3 6-3 in a match where the struggling Australian converted just one of his 15 break point chances.

It is the 31-year-old Giron's first time reaching the fourth round of the tournament.



PSG, Marseille Looking to Bounce Back after Champions League Losses

Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Paris St Germain Press Conference - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - July 5, 2022 General view as the Paris St Germain emblem is seen ahead of the press conference REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo
Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Paris St Germain Press Conference - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - July 5, 2022 General view as the Paris St Germain emblem is seen ahead of the press conference REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo
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PSG, Marseille Looking to Bounce Back after Champions League Losses

Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Paris St Germain Press Conference - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - July 5, 2022 General view as the Paris St Germain emblem is seen ahead of the press conference REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo
Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Paris St Germain Press Conference - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - July 5, 2022 General view as the Paris St Germain emblem is seen ahead of the press conference REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo

After they were beaten midweek in the Champions League, Ligue 1 rivals Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille need to be more convincing back on the domestic stage.

PSG, which became European champion for the first time last season, lost at Sporting 2-1 and Marseille was overwhelmed by Liverpool 3-0 at home.

PSG is going through a mediocre patch, having lost two of its last three matches across competitions. Friday's trip at second-to-last Auxerre should help Luis Enrique's team rebuild some confidence.

On paper, the task faced by Marseille is more difficult, hosting leader Lens at Stade Velodrome.

Key matchups Lens travels south in full confidence after recording a 10th consecutive win across all competitions last weekend. Lens claimed its only French title in 1998 and has a one point lead over defending champion PSG, The AP news reported.

Third-placed Marseille, meanwhile, has been putting on brilliant displays and boasts the league's best attacking record, with 41 goals after 18 rounds. But the nine-time champion has also been inconsistent at the back. The loss against Liverpool marked the first time since March 2022 that Marseille lost back-to-back home games without scoring.

Before the trip to Auxerre, PSG boss Luis Enrique said it's time for his team to take control of Ligue 1.

“We’re not yet where we want to be in the league," he said. "We need to keep working hard and trying to win. We’re used to deep defensive blocks. That’s often how our opponents play against us. We want to become leaders but Lens are in great form with 10 consecutive wins. It’s exciting.”

Players to watch Adrien Thomasson has played a crucial role in Lens' rise to the top. Thomasson has been thriving since he was repositioned in a deeper role. Alongside PSG's Vitinha, he is the joint top assist provider with six, and has two goals.

Back from the Africa Cup of Nations after losing with Morocco to Senegal in a chaotic final, defender Achraf Hakimi is expected to return for PSG. “He’s in normal shape,” Luis Enrique said. "We’ll have to wait and see how he is on the training ground.”

Off the field French magazine Paris Match reported this week that PSG and France defender Lucas Hernandez has been accused of human trafficking and undeclared work.

The magazine said a Colombian family accused the player and his wife of having employed them without a legal framework and with excessively long working hours. The Versailles public prosecutor’s office told French media that an investigation was underway.


Bayern Munich is Smashing its Own Records in the Bundesliga and Rivals Aren't Close

Soccer Football - Bundesliga - VfL Bochum v Bayern Munich - Vonovia Ruhrstadion, Bochum, Germany - October 27, 2024 Bayern Munich's Thomas Mueller celebrates with teammates after the match REUTERS/Leon Kuegeler
Soccer Football - Bundesliga - VfL Bochum v Bayern Munich - Vonovia Ruhrstadion, Bochum, Germany - October 27, 2024 Bayern Munich's Thomas Mueller celebrates with teammates after the match REUTERS/Leon Kuegeler
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Bayern Munich is Smashing its Own Records in the Bundesliga and Rivals Aren't Close

Soccer Football - Bundesliga - VfL Bochum v Bayern Munich - Vonovia Ruhrstadion, Bochum, Germany - October 27, 2024 Bayern Munich's Thomas Mueller celebrates with teammates after the match REUTERS/Leon Kuegeler
Soccer Football - Bundesliga - VfL Bochum v Bayern Munich - Vonovia Ruhrstadion, Bochum, Germany - October 27, 2024 Bayern Munich's Thomas Mueller celebrates with teammates after the match REUTERS/Leon Kuegeler

Bayern Munich is running away with the Bundesliga again.

But this time it’s smashing even its own records.

The Bavarian powerhouse has a whopping 71 goals in 18 games, conceded only 14 goals, and drawn only two matches. It has won the other 16.

With 50 points and a goal difference of plus-57, Bayern has made the best ever start to the Bundesliga at this stage of the season.

And its rivals are struggling to keep up, The AP news reported.

Bayern already leads by 11 points from Borussia Dortmund and is on course for its 13th Bundesliga title in 14 years.

Bayern next hosts relegation threatened Augsburg in a Bavarian derby on Saturday.

Key matchups Bayern hasn’t dropped points since a surprising 2-2 draw with Mainz in mid-December. Augsburg hasn’t won a game since beating Bayer Leverkusen — the only team to break Bayern’s dominance in the last 13 years — in early December.

Leverkusen, which lost to Olympiakos in the Champions League on Tuesday, will hope to snap its three-game losing run against visiting Werder Bremen on Saturday.

St. Pauli entertains Hamburger SV in the city derby on Friday. St. Pauli, which won the reverse fixture in August, can climb off the bottom by avoiding defeat, with relegation contenders Mainz playing Wolfsburg and Heidenheim entertaining Leipzig on Saturday.

Also on Saturday, Eintracht Frankfurt, which crashed out of the Champions League on Wednesday, hosts in-form Hoffenheim. Frankfurt is still looking for a coach following the dismissal of Dino Toppmöller. The team has conceded three goals in every game in 2026.

Players to watch Harry Kane missed a penalty in Bayern’s 2-0 win over Union Saint-Gilloise in the Champions League on Wednesday and though he scored both goals he’ll be keen to “make amends” for his penalty miss. He already has 34 goals in 29 games for Bayern this season.

Nicolas Jackson is back at Bayern after helping Senegal win the Africa Cup of Nations. Jackson scored two goals for the Teranga Lions at the tournament but could find playing time restricted on his return to Munich.

Stuttgart has Bilal El Khannouss back after his impressive Africa Cup performances for Morocco, where he became a starter for the host team.

Who is out? Morocco’s Eliesse Ben Seghir returned to Leverkusen from the Africa Cup with an ankle problem. Defender Edmond Tapsoba also came back injured from his participation with Burkina Faso, while forward Nathan Tella and goalkeeper Mark Flekken are out “long term” with serious knee injuries from Leverkusen’s defeat to Hoffenheim last weekend.

Jamal Musiala made his anticipated return for Bayern in a brief appearance last weekend, but he’s returning to a team that had been doing just fine without him. Bayern attackers Kane, Luis Díaz, Serge Gnabry and the 17-year-old Lennart Karl have been outstanding, giving Vincent Kompany a selection problem any coach would love to have.


Swiatek Says Packed Tennis Season Makes it 'Impossible' to Switch Off

Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 22, 2026 Poland's Iga Swiatek celebrates after winning her second round match against Czech Republic's Marie Bouzkova REUTERS/Tingshu Wang
Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 22, 2026 Poland's Iga Swiatek celebrates after winning her second round match against Czech Republic's Marie Bouzkova REUTERS/Tingshu Wang
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Swiatek Says Packed Tennis Season Makes it 'Impossible' to Switch Off

Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 22, 2026 Poland's Iga Swiatek celebrates after winning her second round match against Czech Republic's Marie Bouzkova REUTERS/Tingshu Wang
Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 22, 2026 Poland's Iga Swiatek celebrates after winning her second round match against Czech Republic's Marie Bouzkova REUTERS/Tingshu Wang

Six-time major champion Iga Swiatek stepped up her criticism of the tennis schedule Thursday saying that the season was too long and it was impossible to switch off.

The Polish second seed turned on the style to motor past the Czech Republic's Marie Bouzkova 6-2, 6-3 and into the Australian Open third round in Melbourne.

It set up a clash against Russian world number 33 Anna Kalinskaya, who swept past Austria's Julia Grabher 6-3, 6-3.

While Swiatek said she felt physically fine, she let rip about the ever-growing WTA schedule.

"For sure the schedule is packed. There's not much time to reset completely. It's kind of impossible," she said.

"It feels like there's no beginning of the season and end of the season because honestly, for people that work physically for 11 months basically, getting 10 days without the racquet, it's not enough time to reset.

"I mean, that's what I got. Because for four days you're still thinking about the season and last days you already think about the preparation for the next one."

Swiatek said her goal for 2026 was to try and "go somewhere and just reset and not do anything".

"Like, unplug a bit better. Hopefully I'm going to have more energy till the end of the season."

Swiatek has won four French Opens, the US Open and Wimbledon, but a title at Melbourne Park has proved elusive, with the 24-year-old making the semi-finals twice.

Last year she surged into the last four but failed to get past eventual winner Madison Keys.

Swiatek arrived in Melbourne this year on the back of two singles defeats at the lead-up United Cup and was then pushed hard by Chinese qualifier Yuan Yue in round one.

She was more convincing against Bouzkova, cutting down on the 35 unforced errors against Yuan to 27, while blasting 31 winners.

Serving was an issue for both players early on, exchanging first-set breaks before Swiatek got into her rhythm to take charge.

The Pole served to love to open set two, but a pair of baseline errors handed the Czech a break and she consolidated for a 3-1 advantage.

But it was a fleeting lead with Swiatek levelling at 3-3 and making the crucial break for 5-3 with a backhand winner before serving out for the match.