Iga Swiatek of Poland showcased her resilience as she rallied to defeat Philippine teenage sensation Alexandra Eala in a gripping second-round match at the Madrid Open on Thursday. The defending champion overcame a slow start to secure a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory, avenging her previous quarterfinal loss to Eala in Miami last month.
Swiatek, currently ranked second in the world, is determined to reach her first final of the season. “On clay, I feel like I have a little bit more advantage in certain situations,” Swiatek said after the match. “I understand there’s hype about these young players, but you have to stay focused on yourself.”
Eala began the match with confidence, breaking Swiatek’s serve early and taking the first set at the Caja Mágica’s center court. However, the former world No. 1 regained her composure and dominated the rest of the match, capitalizing on a dip in form from her 17-year-old opponent.
Swiatek has reached three semifinals this year, including at the Australian Open and Indian Wells. She is striving to maintain her momentum after a surprising second-round exit in Stuttgart last week against Jelena Ostapenko.
Gauff Recovers From 0-6 Start
American fourth seed Coco Gauff displayed remarkable determination in her match against Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska. Despite losing the first set 0-6, Gauff battled back to claim a 0-6, 6-2, 7-5 victory in their second-round encounter.
This marks only the second time Gauff has won after dropping a set 6-0 in Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) events. She previously achieved this feat against Elise Mertens four years ago. Gauff aims to surpass her previous best in Madrid by reaching the quarterfinals. Her next opponent is fellow American Ann Li, who defeated Canada’s Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.
