Alcaraz powers through ‘bee invasion’, Zverev to reach Indian Wells semis

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz fought off swarming bees and Alexander Zverev to set up a semi-final clash with Jannik Sinner at Indian Wells.
World number two Alcaraz was stung on the forehead and temporarily forced from the court as a “bee invasion” halted his quarter-final against Germany’s Zverev with just two games completed.
He looked none the worse for wear when play resumed after a delay of almost two hours, polishing off a 6-3, 6-1 victory and avenging a quarter-final loss to Zverev at the Australian Open.
Sinner powered into the semi-finals with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Czech Jiri Lehecka pushing his match win streak to 19.
Sinner’s win streak stretches back through last year’s Davis Cup finals and includes a perfect 16-0 record in 2024.
In Saturday’s semi-finals he’ll be out to turn the tables on Alcaraz, who beat him at the same stage last year on the way to the title in the California desert.
Alcaraz said he never imagined his title defence would find him ducking for cover amid a swarm of bees.
He and Zverev were just two games into their match when the bees overwhelmed proceedings, Alcaraz swatting and swiping at the insects after being stung on the forehead.
The bees swarmed the remote-controlled “spider cam” and Alcaraz and Zverev had already run for cover when chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani announced “Ladies and gentlemen, play is suspended due to bee invasion.”
A bee expert was summoned and removed the bees clustered on the aerial camera with a live-capture vacuum.
“It was strange, I’ve never seen something like that on a tennis court,” Alcaraz said. “When we ran out of the court, we were watching the bee invasion on the TV and we laughed a lot about it.
“It was funny for me. It’s going to be remembered for that, not for the tennis.” The players were brought back on court to warm up, although Alcaraz insisted bee specialist Lance Davis get rid of some stragglers around the player chairs and equipment.
“I’m not going to lie,” Alcaraz said “I’m a little bit afraid of bees.”
But he had no more trouble – with the bees or Zverev.
He said he was pleased with how he managed to stay focused during the delay, as well as with his superb return game against the big-serving Zverev. Alcaraz said he played “probably one of my best return matches that I’ve done in my tennis career. “I put every return in,” said Alcaraz, who has gone from strength to strength as he chases his first title since he vanquished Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon last July.
Error-prone Gauff, Swiatek into Indian Wells semis
Third seed Coco Gauff served up 17 double faults but still managed to beat China’s Yuan Yue 6-4 6-3 at Indian Wells to reach the semi-finals in the Californian desert for the first time.
A day after her 20th birthday, Gauff had to rally from 3-1 down in the second set before setting up a clash with ninth seed Maria Sakkari, who beat fellow American Emma Navarro 5-6, 6-2, 6-4in the day’s last quarter-final.
“I’m really happy to be through today’s match,” said the one-time teen prodigy.
“It wasn’t the best style of the serving, but overall I think when it comes to the groundstroke game and returns, everything else, honestly, I played well. I’ll just try and take the positives into the next match.”
Gauff joined Iga Swiatek and Caroline Wozniacki as the only players to have reached five WTA 1000 semi-finals before the age of 21.
Top seed Swiatek earlier also reached the semi-finals after former world number one Wozniacki retired with a foot injury early in the second set of their quarter-final (6-4, 1-10).
“I have a huge respect for her and I’m sad she has to go that way, I’m sure she will recover and I hope she will be ready for Miami,” Swiatek said.
“But I’m happy that I played well enough in first set to win it.”
Swiatek, the 2022 champion, will face Marta Kostyuk in the semi-finals after the Ukrainian defeated Anastasia Potapova 6-0 7-5.
“Let’s not put expectations too high,” world number 32 Kostyuk said of her meeting with Swiatek.
“She’s a great competitor, she’s been on top of the game for two years already.”