One month after her surprising victory over Iga Swiatek in the Miami quarterfinals, Alexandra Eala is set to face the World No. 2 again in the second round of the Mutua Madrid Open. The Filipina player, who entered the tournament as a wild card, secured this rematch by defeating Viktoriya Tomova 6-3, 6-2 in an hour and 16 minutes on the opening day.
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Eala`s impressive run to the Miami semifinals, which included wins against Jelena Ostapenko and Madison Keys, propelled her into the Top 100 rankings for the first time. She is now at a career-high ranking of No. 72. Her 6-2, 7-5 victory over Swiatek was a significant upset, as it was only Swiatek`s third loss at the tour level to a player ranked outside the Top 100. Consequently, there is considerable anticipation for their upcoming match.
Eala, who frequently mentioned `professionalism` as a key factor in her Miami success, has moved past that victory and is focused on the present.
`Now that the excitement has subsided, I try not to dwell on Miami too much,` she stated after her win against Tomova. `Naturally, it comes to mind when people ask, but personally, I believe I have a lifetime to reflect on those moments, and those memories will always be with me. However, the tour continues, the competition continues, so my current focus is entirely on Madrid.`
The 19-year-old is participating in her second tournament since Miami. As the top seed in last week`s Oeiras WTA 125 event, she was defeated in the second round by Panna Udvardy. However, against Tomova, she overcame that setback and delivered a strong, aggressive performance. She hit 27 winners compared to her opponent`s seven and successfully converted six out of nine break point opportunities, winning her opening match in Madrid for the second consecutive year.
Defending champion Swiatek is also aiming to regain her momentum as the clay court season progresses towards its peak in 2025. She was defeated in the Stuttgart quarterfinals last week by the eventual champion, Jelena Ostapenko, marking her sixth loss in six encounters with the Latvian. She has not reached a final since Roland Garros last year. Overcoming her Miami defeat by Eala on her preferred clay surface would be a crucial initial step in Madrid.
Eala, however, does not expect a repeat of the Miami match.
`I firmly believe that every match is unique,` she explained. `Even when facing the same opponent repeatedly, whether it`s next year in Miami or Madrid, each encounter will be a different narrative from the previous one.`
