MADRID — Iga Swiatek showcased her resilience against the emerging talent Alexandra Eala.
In an exciting match at the Madrid Open on Thursday, Swiatek bounced back from her previous quarterfinal defeat to the Filipino sensation, claiming a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory in the second round.
As the reigning champion and currently ranked second, Swiatek is on a quest for her first final of the year.
The 19-year-old Eala, nurtured at Rafael Nadal’s academy, previously defeated Swiatek in straight sets during her spectacular run in Miami.
Eala struck early by breaking Swiatek’s serve, swiftly taking the first set at the iconic Caja Magica venue. However, Swiatek adjusted her strategy and dominated the remainder of the match, capitalizing on Eala’s late-game struggle.
Swiatek has made three semifinal appearances this season, including notable showings at the Australian Open and Indian Wells, though she recently faced an early exit in Stuttgart against Jelena Ostapenko.
Prior to her victory over Swiatek in Miami, Eala also bested two former Grand Slam champions, Ostapenko and Madison Keys, before her semifinals run concluded with a defeat against Jessica Pegula.
Her remarkable performance in Miami made Eala the first Filipina to break into the top 100 rankings, currently sitting at No. 72.
Earlier in the day, world No. 7 Mirra Andreeva, on the cusp of her 18th birthday, advanced to the third round by overcoming Marie Bouzkova with a scoreline of 6-3, 6-4. Meanwhile, Brazil’s Bia Haddad Maia mounted a comeback to defeat Bernard Pera 2-6, 6-3, 6-1.
In other matches, American Katie Volynets faced a tough defeat against Diana Shnaider, losing 6-1, 6-2, while fellow American Emma Navarro triumphed over Maya Joint with a 7-5, 7-5 victory.
On the men’s side, former world No. 4 Kei Nishikori celebrated his 450th tour-level victory by defeating Alexsandar Vukic with scores of 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Nishikori, currently ranked 64th, was a finalist in Madrid in 2014.
“I had no idea,” reflected the 35-year-old Nishikori on his milestone achievement. “I focus on one match at a time. It is indeed a lot… After 18 years on the tour, I hope to reach 500 wins soon.”
Next, he is set to face 29th-seeded Canadian Denis Shapovalov in the second round.
David Goffin had to retire in his match against Alexandre Muller while trailing 1-0 in the third set, while Lorenzo Sonego secured a win over Miomir Kecmanovic with a score of 6-4, 7-6 (5).
In a surprising twist, third-ranked Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the tournament on Thursday, citing concerns over muscle injuries.
