Eala’s magical Miami Open run continues with extraordinary victory over Swiatek
Eala knocked out world No 2 Iga Swiatek 6-2, 7-5 to reach the Miami Open semi-finals, where she will meet either Emma Raducanu or Jessica Pegula
Geoff Burke Images/Sipa USA/SIPA
Alexandra Eala’s incredible run continued with another career-best win as the 19-year-old wildcard knocked out world No 2 Iga Swiatek 6-2, 7-5 to reach the semi-finals of the Miami Open.
In doing so, Eala has equalled the best result for a wildcard in this tournament’s history, becoming only the third to reach the last four – the other two being Justine Henin and Victoria Azarenka when they were competing as returning former world No 1s.
The young Filipino has already made history several times over for her country in Miami over the course of this fortnight, becoming the first player from the Philippines – male or female – to defeat a top-10 player in the Open Era when she sent Australian Open champion Madison Keys crashing out of the tournament earlier in the week.
Now, she has smashed her own glass ceiling by claiming another top-10 scalp, this time over former Miami Open champion and five-time Grand Slam titlist Swiatek to surge into the last four of a 1000-level event for the first time in her young career.
Not only is it Eala’s first 1000-level semi-final, it is the first time a player from the Philippines has reached the last four at any tour-level event. Courtesy of her history-making run in Miami, she is also set to become the first Filipino to break into the world’s top 100 when the new rankings are released next week.
But as the records have continued to tumble around Eala’s extraordinary exploits in Florida, no feat has yet eclipsed her victory over the world No 2, Swiatek.
The seismic nature of this achievement is summed up perfectly by an image that has been recirculating this week – that of Eala standing between the Pole and Rafael Nadal when graduating from the Spaniard’s academy just two years ago.
“It’s surreal,” she said in her on-court interview when asked about that photo.
“I feel like I’m the exact same person I was in that photo. I’m so happy and blessed to be able to compete with such a player on this stage.”
exceptional eala fully deserving of historic victory
What is perhaps most striking about today’s win was that it was relatively straightforward. Swiatek simply struggled to cope with the power and accuracy of Eala’s eye-catching, lefty game as devastating returns flowed effortlessly off the racquet of the teenager in a break-dominated contest.
It was the former champion who struck first early on in the opening stanza, but was twice pegged back by Eala before the current world No 140 accelerated away with two further breaks to sprint to a one-set lead, leaving the crowd within the cavernous interior of the Hard Rock Stadium somewhat dumbstruck.
An early break in the second set for the teenage wildcard compounded this atmosphere, before Swiatek’s trademark tenacity came to the fore in the shape of two breaks to erase her opponent’s lead and nudge into one herself at 4-2.
Yet, as was rapidly becoming the theme of the match, Eala came roaring back, wiping out the break to restore parity at 4-4 before striking again in the twelfth and final game to seal the biggest win of her young career to date.
A possible match-up with someone who knows a thing or two about being a teenage prodigy – Emma Raducanu – awaits in the semi-finals, should the Briton get past the considerable challenge of world No 4 Jessica Pegula in the last of the women’s quarter-finals this evening.
Until then, however, Eala can bask in yet another glorious afternoon in the Miami sunshine as records, history and glass ceilings all lie in tatters in the wake of this remarkable young Filipino’s phenomenal Florida run.
