Just a month after her surprising victory over Iga Swiatek in the Miami quarterfinals, Alexandra Eala is preparing for another showdown with the world`s second-ranked player. Eala, a wildcard entrant from the Philippines, earned a second-round spot at the Mutua Madrid Open by defeating Viktoriya Tomova in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2. The match lasted 1 hour and 16 minutes and was the opening match of Day 1.
Eala`s impressive run to the Miami semifinals, which included wins against Jelena Ostapenko and Madison Keys, propelled her into the top 100 rankings for the first time. She is now at a career-high ranking of No. 72. Her victory over Swiatek in Miami was a significant upset, as it was only Swiatek`s third loss to a player ranked outside the top 100 at the tour level. Therefore, their upcoming rematch is highly anticipated.
Eala, who emphasized `professionalism` as a key factor in her Miami success, is now focused on Madrid and not dwelling on past achievements.
`Now that Miami is behind me, I`m trying not to think about it too much,` Eala said after her win against Tomova. `Of course, it comes to mind when people ask, but personally, I believe I have a lifetime to reflect on those moments, and those memories will always be with me. However, the tour continues, the competition continues, so my focus is fully on Madrid at this moment.`
The 19-year-old is participating in her second tournament since Miami. As the top seed at the Oeiras WTA 125 event last week, she was defeated in the second round by Panna Udvardy. However, against Tomova, she demonstrated resilience and delivered an aggressive performance. She hit 27 winners compared to her opponent`s seven and successfully converted six out of nine break point opportunities, securing her Madrid opening round victory for the second consecutive year.
Swiatek, the defending Madrid champion, is also looking to regain momentum after recent results. She was defeated in the Stuttgart quarterfinals by Jelena Ostapenko, marking her sixth loss in six matches against the Latvian. Swiatek has not reached a final since the French Open last year. A victory against Eala in Madrid, especially on her preferred clay surface, would be a crucial step in her clay court season.
Eala, however, believes that past results won`t dictate the outcome of their upcoming match.
`I truly believe that every match is a unique event,` she stated. `Even when facing the same opponent repeatedly, whether it`s next year in Miami or Madrid, each encounter will unfold differently from the previous one.`
