Swiatek avoids another upset against Eala at Madrid Open, Gauff recovers from 0-6 start
MADRID (AP) — This time, Iga Swiatek had the answers against teenage sensation Alexandra Eala.
After a quarterfinal loss to the rising star from the Philippines last month in Miami, Swiatek rallied to a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory in the second round of the Madrid Open on Thursday.
The second-ranked Swiatek, who is the defending Madrid champion, is trying to reach her first final of the season.
“On clay I feel like I have a little bit more advantage sometimes in the situations, where Alexandra could take more advantage on faster hard courts,” the four-time French Open champion said. “I understand that there’s hype about these young players, but you got to be focused on yourself.”
The 19-year-old Eala, a product of Rafael Nadal’s academy, defeated Swiatek in straight sets during her breakthrough run in Miami.
Eala broke Swiatek’s serve early and cruised to victory in the first set at the Caja Magica center court, but the former No. 1 regained her control for the rest of the match, taking advantage of a letdown by her young opponent.
“From the beginning I didn’t play smoothly, but I managed to solve some problems,” said the 23-year-old Swiatek, who was a set and a break down before rallying to victory.
Swiatek has made three semifinal appearances this year, including at the Australian Open and in Indian Wells. She lost her second match in Stuttgart last week, falling against Jelena Ostapenko in three sets.
Before beating Swiatek in Miami, the left-handed Eala had also defeated two other Grand Slam winners — Ostapenko and Madison Keys. Her run ended in the semifinals after a loss to Jessica Pegula.
The last-four appearance in Miami allowed Eala to become the first Filipina to be ranked inside the top 100. She is currently the No. 72.
Gauff recovers from 0-6 start
Coco Gauff got off to a poor start but came back to defeat Dayana Yastremska 0-6, 6-2, 7-5 in a second-round match.
It was only the second time Gauff won after losing the first set 6-0 in WTA-level events. She had done it against Elise Mertens four years ago.
The fourth-ranked Gauff needs two more victories to reach the quarterfinals for her best appearance in five outings in Madrid. She will next face fellow American Ann Li, who defeated Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.
Other results
Earlier Thursday, world No. 7 Mirra Andreeva, who will turn 18 on Tuesday, reached the third round by defeating Marie Bouzkova 6-3, 6-4, while Brazil’s Bia Haddad Maia rallied to beat Bernard Pera 2-6, 6-3, 6-1.
American Katie Volynets lost 6-1, 6-2 to Diana Shnaider, and countrywoman Emma Navarro won 7-5, 7-5 against Maya Joint.
Nishikori’s 450th win
In the men’s side, former world No. 4 Kei Nishikori defeated Alexsandar Vukic 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 for his 450th tour-level win. The 64th-ranked Japanese was a 2014 finalist in Madrid.
“I had no idea,” the 35-year-old Nishikori said about his milestone. “I just try to play one match at a time. It’s a lot, yes… I have played for 18 years now, hopefully I can reach 500 (wins).”
He will play 29th-seed Denis Shapovalov in the second round.
Teenager Fonseca advances
Joao Fonseca, the 18-year-old Brazilian who has become a sensation on tour this year, defeated Elmer Moller 6-2, 6-3 on center court to set up a second-round meeting against 11th-seeded Tommy Paul.
“I know it’s going to be a difficult match,” Fonseca said. “I already practiced with him once. Yeah, excited for the match.”
Fonseca will go for his third top-20 victory. He defeated No. 9 Andrey Rublev at the Australian Open and No. 20 Ugo Humbert in Miami.
David Goffin had to retire while losing 1-0 in the third set against Alexandre Muller, while Lorenzo Sonego beat Miomir Kecmanovic 6-4, 7-6 (5).
Third-ranked Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the tournament on Thursday, citing muscle injuries.
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
By TALES AZZONI
AP Sports Writer
