Iga Swiatek lamented the windy conditions in Indian Wells following her semifinal exit but also admitted that Mirra Andreeva "played better and braver" and therefore deserved to end on the winning side.
After collecting her second title in the desert last year and also starting her run at this year's tournament edition with four convincing straight-set wins, the Pole met her match on Friday as the 17-year-old Russian completed a 7-6 (1) 1-6 6-3 win.
During the match, there were probably two key moments. In the first-set tie-break, Andreeva decided to go all in and it paid off since she dominated the tie-break to go up by a set. After collapsing in the second set and being evidently outplayed, the Russian teenager decided to up her aggressiveness once again and she went up by two early breaks in the decider before sealing the deal.
Swiatek gives credit to Andreeva
"She definitely played better and probably braver in key moments. Of course, I remember a few shots I could have played better, but overall, I think it was a high-level match," the two-time Indian Wells winner reflected on Canal+ Sport.
"The wind played a big roleat times, it was hard to get out of difficult situations when she was hitting big with the wind, while I was playing against it. I gave 100% in many rallies, but the ball just didnt travel the way I wanted. And when I had the wind on my side, I wasnt always able to use it to my advantagemaybe I should have played more aggressively to balance things out."
In the same interview, Swiatek also stated that Andreeva "played better than my previous opponents."
The loss further pushed the Pole's title drought - she hasn't had any triumphant runs since lifting her fourth French Open title last June.
Swiatek's focus now turns to Miami, where she went all the way in 2022.
