Alexandra Eala is set for a second-round clash with World No. 2 Iga Swiatek at the Mutua Madrid Open, just a month after her stunning victory over Swiatek in the Miami quarterfinals. The Filipina wildcard secured the rematch by defeating Viktoriya Tomova 6-3, 6-2 in the first round in 1 hour and 16 minutes.
Eala`s impressive run to the Miami semifinals, which included wins against Jelena Ostapenko and Madison Keys, propelled her into the Top 100 for the first time, reaching a career-high ranking of No. 72. Her 6-2, 7-5 victory over Swiatek was a significant upset, making their upcoming match highly anticipated.
Eala emphasizes moving forward and focusing on the present, stating after her win against Tomova, “Now that the dust has settled, I try not to think about Miami so much. The tour goes on, competition goes on, so right now I`m fully focused on Madrid.”
Head to Head
Alexandra Eala has won 100% of her matches against Iga Swiatek, with 1 win in 1 match played.
Despite a second-round loss in her previous tournament in Oeiras, Eala demonstrated strong form against Tomova, hitting 27 winners and converting six of nine break points. She is now aiming for another strong performance in Madrid.
Defending Madrid champion Swiatek is also looking to regain momentum after a quarterfinal defeat in Stuttgart. Eala, however, believes that past results won`t dictate the future, saying, “I definitely think that each match is a different story. Even if it`s against the same player every time… it`s going to be a different story than the last one.”
Rupert Caldwell