Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala fell short against world no. 2 Iga Swiatek, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, in the Round of 64 of the Madrid Open in Spain.
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The two players were tied 4-4 in the second set before Swiatek, a four-time French Open champion, flexed her might on the clay court.
After claiming the second set, the Polish player had an early 3-0 lead in the deciding set before Eala broke the scoring drought.
Swiatek, however, quickly bounced back and notched back-to-back games and claim a 5-1 lead.
Eala still tried to salvage the match as she led 40-15 in the seventh game before Swiatek recovered and tied the game. The 19-year old then powered through to inch closer, 5-2.
The two players were neck-and-neck in the final game with Eala and Swiatek being tied at 40-all before the Polish player survived Eala’s late rally.
Prior to this, Eala defeated Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova, 6-3, 6-2, in the Round of 128.
Alex Eala vs Iga Swiatek at the Madrid Open1 of 6
Tennis – Madrid Open – Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain – April 24, 2025 Philippines’ Alex Eala in action during her round of 64 match against Poland’s Iga Swiatek REUTERS/Juan Medina
Alex Eala vs Iga Swiatek at the Madrid Open2 of 6
