Iga Swiatek sets up Indian Wells rematch with Maria Sakkari after battling past Kayla Day

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Iga Swiatek cruised into the third round at Indian Wells after getting the better of American qualifier Kayla Day in straight sets on Saturday.

Two-time champion Swiatek teed up a rematch with Maria Sakkari, who she beat in both finals at the tournament, after earning a 6-0 7-6 (7-2) win in one hour and 10 minutes.

In a dominant opening set, Swiatek dropped just 13 points on her way to claiming the early advantage, though Day came out as a player reborn in the second.

She was able to break the six-time grand slam champion in the opening game of the second and missed three break opportunities to surge into an early 3-0 lead.

And though Day went within one game of taking the match the distance, Swiatek regained her composure and reeled off the next five games to force a tie-break.

Swiatek's experience eventually told as she saw out the contest with relative ease, sealing her progression to the next round with a serve that Day served wide of the mark.

Elsewhere, third seed Elena Rybakina endured a more difficult test against Hailey Baptiste, but the recently crowned Australian Open champion got the job done in three sets.

After taking the opening set in a tie-break, Rybakina was pushed the distance but was able to get herself over the line with a 7-6 (7-5) 2-6 6-2 win against the home hopeful.

Rybakina's reward for her triumph is a meeting with either Marta Kostyuk or Taylor Townsend for a place in the last 16 of the tournament she won back in 2023.

Swiatek's supremacy continues

Though Swiatek was put through her paces by Day, she did the damage early on and was able to continue her impressive opening-round record at WTA-1000 events.

Indeed, she has now claimed a 33rd consecutive opening match win at WTA-1000 events. It is the longest such streak of any player since the format's introduction in 2009.

Swiatek has also now won 11.0% of her total career sets at WTA-1000 events by a score of 6-0. Since the Tier format's introduction in 1990, only Gabriela Sabatini (12.9%) holds a higher rate at Tier I/WTA-1000 events.