Iga Swiatek struggled with her game and recovered from a frustrating first set to repulse Filipina netter Alexandra Eala, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, on Thursday in the second round of the Mutua Madrid Open at the Manolo Santana Stadium.
The world no. 2 Swiatek found her second wind in the middle of the second set, and held her ground in a two hour and 15 minute encounter.
The 23-year old Swiatek lost her composure after an aggressive 19-year old Eala took the early lead, 3-1, and eventually took the first set, 6-4.
Her frustrations continued until the eighth game of the second set when the contest remained tied at 4-all.
A service winner in the ninth game, got Swiatek into the lead, and a steady baseline game gave her the second set, 6-4.
Finding back her rhythm and her game in the third set, Swiatek coasted to 5-1 lead.
This allowed Swiatek to bounce back from her 6-2, 7-5 upset to Eala in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open last month.
Swiatek overcame 25 unforced errors in the first set, and four lost serves in coming out of her struggling game in the second set.
In all, Eala unloaded three aces and won 30 points off 47 first serves, while Swiatek struck home 35 points on 69 first serves.
This will be Swiatek’s first triumph in a deciding set since she won over Linda Noskova from a set behind in the third round of the Qatar Total Open in February.
As Swiatek gets ready to face Noskova again in her next match in the round of 32, Eala will not go home empty-handed.
Eala will leave Madrid with 30,895 euros, or P1.98-million in her pockets and 35 WTA points for reaching the second round.
