Defending champion Iga Swiatek narrowly avoided a second straight loss to Alexandra Eala at a WTA 1000 event. In a thrilling three-set match at the Mutua Madrid Open on Thursday, Swiatek rallied from a set and a break behind to defeat the young Filipino player with a score of 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Having unexpectedly lost to Eala in straight sets in the Miami quarterfinals, Swiatek appeared headed for another upset in Madrid when she trailed 6-4, 3-2. However, the World No. 2 regained her composure, winning five straight games from 4-4 in the second set and ultimately completing the comeback in 2 hours and 15 minutes.
This victory prevented Swiatek`s earliest exit from a WTA 1000 event in almost four years; her previous early loss at this level was in the second round of the 2021 Cincinnati Open. She has now extended her impressive streak of winning 58 consecutive opening matches at Hologic WTA Tour events (including United Cup and WTA Finals), a run that began after a round-robin loss to Maria Sakkari at the 2021 year-end championships.
After the match, Swiatek commented, “It wasn`t easy to find my rhythm and timing, so I`m pleased that I remained patient.”
Swiatek committed 25 of her total 57 unforced errors in the first set but finished the match with 40 winners. She significantly improved her serve and return throughout the match, winning 85% of first serve points after struggling below 60% in the initial two sets. She broke Eala`s serve seven times out of sixteen opportunities.
Reflecting on the encounter, Eala stated, “I`m satisfied with the match and my competitive spirit. Being a set and a break up is a strong position, but you must remember who is across the net – a multiple Roland Garros champion. She performed well… There are things to learn from this.”
Regarding the difference between the Madrid and Miami matches, Eala felt, “In my opinion, she executed better on the crucial points in Madrid and demonstrated a slightly higher level than me during key moments of the match.”
Aiming for her first final of the season, Swiatek`s next opponent is No. 31 seed Linda Noskova, another player who has posed challenges for her previously. While Swiatek has won their last three encounters since her loss to Noskova at last year`s Australian Open, two of these matches required three sets. Should Swiatek advance, she might find some relief knowing that Jelena Ostapenko, a player she has never beaten (0-6 record), was defeated by her compatriot Anastasija Sevastova during Swiatek`s match against Eala.
