Wildcard Alexandra Eala Shocks Iga Swiatek, Advances to Miami Open Semifinals
Philippine wildcard Alexandra Eala achieved the most significant victory of her burgeoning career with an impressive 6-2, 7-5 defeat of Polish world No. 2 Iga Swiatek on Wednesday, propelling her into the semifinals of the Miami Open. The powerful...
TroibNews 
Philippine wildcard Alexandra Eala achieved the most significant victory of her burgeoning career with an impressive 6-2, 7-5 defeat of Polish world No. 2 Iga Swiatek on Wednesday, propelling her into the semifinals of the Miami Open.
The powerful 19-year-old displayed remarkable composure while competing against one of her idols, decisively taking control of the match early by effectively breaking Swiatek's serve and maintaining her advantage throughout.
"I don't know what to say, I mean, complete just disbelief right now and I am on cloud nine," Eala expressed during her on-court interview. "It's forever in my heart."
Swiatek, who had heightened security for the match following a verbal incident with a spectator over the weekend, struggled to hold serve in the first set, while Eala played freely, firing winners from various spots on the court.
The five-time Grand Slam champion recorded an astonishing 19 unforced errors in the opening set and sought counsel from her coach before briefly exiting the court.
In the second set, Eala managed to come back from a 4-2 deficit, maintaining her composure as Swiatek attempted to serve out the set at 5-4, eventually deciding the match with her eighth break.
With this win over Swiatek, Eala has now eliminated her third Grand Slam champion from the women's draw, having previously triumphed over Australian Open champion Madison Keys and 2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko.
On the men's side, top seed Alexander Zverev faced an upset, losing to Arthur Fils 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, as the rising French talent advanced to the quarterfinals of a Masters 1000 tournament for the second consecutive time, following his success at Indian Wells earlier this month.
The tall German secured the first set with an ace, but 17th-seeded Fils shifted momentum in the second, achieving an early break and the level of the match with a cross-court winner.
Zverev gained a 3-1 lead in the deciding set, but struggled with accuracy, particularly with his normally reliable backhand during crucial moments, while Fils fed off the crowd's energy.
The 20-year-old confidently served out the match, setting up a quarterfinal clash with 19-year-old Jakub Mensik from the Czech Republic.
"In the third set I thought it was over almost, 3-1, he's serving great," Fils commented post-match after a day’s rain delay. "But I said don't get mad, just try to play as much as you can, try to fight and if you make a break, it's nice. And it happened."
Max Fischer contributed to this article for TROIB News
The powerful 19-year-old displayed remarkable composure while competing against one of her idols, decisively taking control of the match early by effectively breaking Swiatek's serve and maintaining her advantage throughout.
"I don't know what to say, I mean, complete just disbelief right now and I am on cloud nine," Eala expressed during her on-court interview. "It's forever in my heart."
Swiatek, who had heightened security for the match following a verbal incident with a spectator over the weekend, struggled to hold serve in the first set, while Eala played freely, firing winners from various spots on the court.
The five-time Grand Slam champion recorded an astonishing 19 unforced errors in the opening set and sought counsel from her coach before briefly exiting the court.
In the second set, Eala managed to come back from a 4-2 deficit, maintaining her composure as Swiatek attempted to serve out the set at 5-4, eventually deciding the match with her eighth break.
With this win over Swiatek, Eala has now eliminated her third Grand Slam champion from the women's draw, having previously triumphed over Australian Open champion Madison Keys and 2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko.
On the men's side, top seed Alexander Zverev faced an upset, losing to Arthur Fils 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, as the rising French talent advanced to the quarterfinals of a Masters 1000 tournament for the second consecutive time, following his success at Indian Wells earlier this month.
The tall German secured the first set with an ace, but 17th-seeded Fils shifted momentum in the second, achieving an early break and the level of the match with a cross-court winner.
Zverev gained a 3-1 lead in the deciding set, but struggled with accuracy, particularly with his normally reliable backhand during crucial moments, while Fils fed off the crowd's energy.
The 20-year-old confidently served out the match, setting up a quarterfinal clash with 19-year-old Jakub Mensik from the Czech Republic.
"In the third set I thought it was over almost, 3-1, he's serving great," Fils commented post-match after a day’s rain delay. "But I said don't get mad, just try to play as much as you can, try to fight and if you make a break, it's nice. And it happened."
Max Fischer contributed to this article for TROIB News
