Alex Eala takes down notes as she marvels at maturity of Swiatek's game

April 26 ------ SHE may have come up short of back-to-back wins over world No. 2 Iga Swiatek, but Alex Eala walked away from the match with plenty to feel good about and even more to build on. “I’m happy with the match, happy with how I competed,” Eala, currently ranked No. 72 in the world, said after a brave stand against the defending champion at the Mutua Madrid Open ended in a heartbreaking loss on clay. “Obviously, being up a set and a break is a good situation to be in, but you have to remember there’s another person on the other side of the court — and not just anyone, a multiple Roland Garros champion.” 

Swiatek evened her head-to-head record against the intrepid teenager from the Philippines after pulling off a great comeback, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, early Friday morning in a high-level match that lasted over two hours. The 19-year-old Eala had previously defeated Swiatek at the Miami Open, one of her most surprising performances during a stretch that saw her become the first Filipina player to reach a WTA semifinal. And though she wasn’t able to repeat the result, she soaked in all the lessons from the experience of playing the Polish ace on clay, where Swiatek is an astounding 91-12 in her career - and 13-2 at the Madrid Open. 

Swiatek now has the highest winning percentage at the Madrid WTA 1000 tournament, surpassing Serena Williams. “What was different was that she executed better in the important moments,” Eala said of Swiatek. “She had a slightly higher level than me in specific situations — and that’s something I can learn from." “I’m proud of how I fought and how I handled the moment,” she added. 

Aside from her ranking, which is expected to rise again, this strong showing also gave her a boost in confidence as she builds up for the French Open beginning on May 25, where she is seeded into the main draw for the first time in a grand slam. She has yet to announce where her next tournament will be before Ronald Garros. 

Source: spin.ph