Tennis

BNP Paribas Open: Defending Champs Into Semifinals, Top Seeded Doubles Team Out

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wendioliveros
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wendioliveros Sports Editor

Wendi Oliveros is a diehard tennis fan that is known to set her clock at ridiculous hours to watch live action especially during the Australian Open. She is known for indulging in strawberries and cream during Wimbledon and has watched the US Open live several times.

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Sports Editor

Published14 Mar 2025

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BNP Paribas Open

Thursday was an action-packed day at the BNP Paribas Open.  In singles, all of the quarterfinalists played.  Defending champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz advanced.  In doubles, the top-seeded team of Taylor Towsend and Katerina Siniakova was defeated.

Here is a rundown.

1. Iga Swiatek Avenges Paris Olympics Loss

World No. 2 Iga Swiatek, the two-time defending champion, avenged her shocking Paris Olympics loss to Qinwen Zheng with a straight-set win at the BNP Paribas Open.  Zheng defeating Swiatek at Roland Garros last year was among the biggest upsets of the 2024 tennis season.

Swiatek will face Mirra Andreeva in the semifinals.  Andreeva defeated Swiatek in Dubai en route to her maiden WTA 1000 title.  Swiatek will look to avenge this loss, but the free-spirited Andreeva is playing with so much confidence.

2. Carlos Alcaraz Defeats Francisco Cerundolo


World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, the two-time defending champion, managed the conditions and Francisco Cerundolo’s mammoth forehand for a straight-set victory on Thursday night.  Alcaraz will face Jack Draper who took out Americans Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton in straight sets in 24 hours.

3. Taylor Townsend And Katerina Siniakova Lose In Semifinals

The top-seeded doubles team of Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova, winners in Melbourne and Dubai, were defeated in a thrilling tiebreak ten on Thursday.  Asia Muhammad, a former partner for Townsend who won Adelaide in 2023 with her, and her partner Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands pulled off the upset.

4. Madison Keys Wins Her 16th Straight Match

American Madison Keys has shown no signs of slowing down after winning Adelaide and the Australian Open in January.  In her first tournament back after her maiden Grand Slam win, Keys has played extremely well. She recorded her 16th straight win with a straight set win over Belinda Bencic who is also experiencing a career renaissance as a new mom back on the WTA Tour.

Keys advanced to the BNP Paribas Open semifinals for the first time in her career and sets up an Australian Open finals encore against Aryna Sabalenka.  Fans cannot wait to see if this match has the high quality play and exciement as when the pair played in Melbourne.