Mon Apr 28 10:30:00 UTC 2025: ## Swiatek Survives Scare, Beats Eala in Madrid Thriller
**Madrid, Spain** – World No. 2 Iga Swiatek narrowly avoided a second consecutive upset loss to Alexandra Eala, battling back from a set and a break down to win their Mutua Madrid Open second-round clash 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. The match was a rematch of their Miami Open quarterfinal, where Eala stunned Swiatek in a straight-sets victory.
The early stages of the Madrid match mirrored the Miami upset, with Swiatek accumulating 25 unforced errors in the first set and losing serve four times. Eala dominated, winning two-thirds of her points off Swiatek’s mistakes.
However, the defending champion displayed her resilience, cleaning up her game significantly in the second and third sets. Swiatek, who admitted to struggling with the Madrid altitude and court conditions, credited a change in tension and the clay surface for her comeback. She fired 40 winners, 29 of which came in the final two sets, ultimately escaping with the win after two hours and 15 minutes of play.
“It wasn’t easy to get into the rhythm,” Swiatek said post-match. “I’m happy that I was just patient.” She also noted the clay court provided her with a slight advantage compared to the faster hard courts where Eala had previously triumphed.
The victory prevents Swiatek’s earliest exit from a WTA 1000 event in nearly four years. She will next face Linda Noskova, a player she has beaten three times in a row but who also defeated her at the 2024 Australian Open.
First Piper 