IT APPEARS that Alex Eala’s upset magic won’t work this time, as World No. 2 ranked Iga Swiatek averted a major scare and exacted revenge in their rematch at the 2025 Madrid Open, late Thursday night (Philippine time).
Eala, who’s currently standing as the 72nd player in WTA’s ranking lost, 6-4, 4-6, 2-6 at the Manolo Santana Stadium to Swiatek, who has recently begun her title defense in the WTA1000 clay court tournament.
It is worth pointing out that the 19-year-old rising Filipina tennis talent stunned the Polish superstar at the Miami Open in late March, advancing to the semifinals with a 6-2, 7-5 triumph.
Despite the setback, the highly anticipated rematch between the two tennis stars did not disappoint, with Eala forcing the game to a nail-biting finish, draining everything left in Swiatek’s tank.
Down to the Wire
In the first set, the 19-year-old Eala built an early lead to startle the veteran Swiatek, pulling away with a 5-2 explosion. However, the defending champion refused to hand away the set.
The 23-year-old then responded with her own run, winning eight straight points to cut the deficit to 4-5. However, Eala came up clutch and won the next game to take the first set against her senior opponent.
However, after a very patient and composed first set from the Filipino pride, momentum did not carry over to the second set, as pressure appears to be creeping in on Eala, who now finds herself down 1-2 against Swiatek.
Eala managed to tie the game at 4-4, but Swiatek turned on the heat and won two straight crucial games for a 6-4 victory in the second set, forcing a final set in their highly anticipated rematch.
Swiatek kept the pressure on in the final set, capturing five straight games to take a commanding 3-0 lead. This, however, was not solely due to her offensive firepower, but also to Eala’s accumulation of unforced errors.
The phenom finally stopped the bleeding by sneaking in a crucial ace at 1-3, but it wasn’t enough as the Poland-represent cruised to a 5-1 lead. Eala gave it her all to win another game, but Swiatek ended it quickly, 6-2.
Onto the Next
After a heart-stopping encounter, Swiatek will now advance to the next round to face Czech Republic’s Linda Noskova, who defeated Argentina’s Maria Lourdes Carle 7-5, 6-1 in their second round match.
“We always play amazing matches so hopefully this one is also gonna be enjoyable and good entertainment,” Swiatek said of Noskova. “I’ll just focus on my performance. Linda is a good player, and I have huge respect for her, so we’ll see.”
Nonetheless, Eala was able to deliver another outstanding performance in a highly talented event. Although her time was brief, it was a valuable learning experience for her as she prepares for the busy clay season.
