Iga Swiatek dodges upset by Alexandra Eala at Madrid Open
Iga Swiatek of Poland managed to turn the tables on teenage sensation Alexandra Eala of the Philippines. After facing a quarterfinal defeat to the rising star last month in Miami, Swiatek secured a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 triumph in the second round...
TroibNews 
Iga Swiatek of Poland managed to turn the tables on teenage sensation Alexandra Eala of the Philippines. After facing a quarterfinal defeat to the rising star last month in Miami, Swiatek secured a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 triumph in the second round of the Madrid Open on Thursday.
Currently ranked second, Swiatek, the defending champion in Madrid, is aiming to reach her first final of the season. She commented, "On clay I feel like I have a little bit more advantage sometimes in the situations, where Alexandra could take more advantage on faster hard courts." She acknowledged the attention surrounding younger players, stating, "I understand that there's hype about these young players, but you got to be focused on yourself."
Eala started strong by breaking Swiatek's serve early, comfortably taking the first set at the Caja Magica center court. However, the former world No. 1 found her rhythm for the remainder of the match, capitalizing on her opponent's slight dip in performance.
This year, Swiatek has advanced to the semifinals three times, including her runs at the Australian Open and Indian Wells. However, she faced early elimination in Stuttgart last week, losing in three sets to Jelena Ostapenko.
In another match, American No. 4 seed Coco Gauff overcame a rough start, defeating Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska with a score of 0-6, 6-2, 7-5 in the second round. This marked only the second time Gauff managed to win after losing the first set 6-0 in Women's Tennis Association events, the first being against Elise Mertens four years ago.
To secure her best finish in five attempts at the Madrid Open, Gauff needs two more victories. Her next challenge is against fellow American Ann Li, who triumphed over Leylah Fernandez of Canada, winning 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.
Emily Johnson contributed to this article for TROIB News
Currently ranked second, Swiatek, the defending champion in Madrid, is aiming to reach her first final of the season. She commented, "On clay I feel like I have a little bit more advantage sometimes in the situations, where Alexandra could take more advantage on faster hard courts." She acknowledged the attention surrounding younger players, stating, "I understand that there's hype about these young players, but you got to be focused on yourself."
Eala started strong by breaking Swiatek's serve early, comfortably taking the first set at the Caja Magica center court. However, the former world No. 1 found her rhythm for the remainder of the match, capitalizing on her opponent's slight dip in performance.
This year, Swiatek has advanced to the semifinals three times, including her runs at the Australian Open and Indian Wells. However, she faced early elimination in Stuttgart last week, losing in three sets to Jelena Ostapenko.
In another match, American No. 4 seed Coco Gauff overcame a rough start, defeating Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska with a score of 0-6, 6-2, 7-5 in the second round. This marked only the second time Gauff managed to win after losing the first set 6-0 in Women's Tennis Association events, the first being against Elise Mertens four years ago.
To secure her best finish in five attempts at the Madrid Open, Gauff needs two more victories. Her next challenge is against fellow American Ann Li, who triumphed over Leylah Fernandez of Canada, winning 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.
Emily Johnson contributed to this article for TROIB News
