One month after defeating Iga Swiatek in the Miami quarterfinals, Alexandra Eala will have another chance against the World No. 2 in the second round of the Mutua Madrid Open. The Filipina wild card player secured this rematch by defeating Viktoriya Tomova 6-3, 6-2 in the opening match of Day 1.
Eala`s impressive run to the Miami semifinals, which included victories over Jelena Ostapenko and Madison Keys, propelled her into the Top 100 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, making their upcoming match highly anticipated.
Eala, who emphasized `professionalism` as crucial to her Miami success, is now focused on the Madrid tournament.
`Now that Miami is over, I try not to dwell on it too much,` she said after her win against Tomova. `Of course, it comes up when people ask, but I believe I have a lifetime to reflect on those moments. The tour continues, and the competition goes on, so my focus is entirely on Madrid now.`
The 19-year-old Eala is participating in her second tournament since Miami. In the Oeiras WTA 125 last week, where she was the top seed, she was defeated in the second round by Panna Udvardy. However, against Tomova, she played aggressively, hitting 27 winners compared to her opponent`s seven. She also converted six of nine break point opportunities, winning her first match in Madrid for the second consecutive year.
Swiatek, the defending champion, is also aiming to recover her form as the clay season progresses. She lost in the Stuttgart quarterfinals last week to Jelena Ostapenko and hasn`t reached a final since the French Open last year. Overcoming her Miami loss to Eala on clay would be a significant step forward in Madrid.
Eala doesn`t expect their next match to be a repeat of Miami.
`I believe every match is unique,` she stated. `Even against the same opponent, whether it`s next year in Miami or Madrid, it will be a different story from the last time.`
Jasper Hawthorne 
Dominic Ashworth