By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, March 26, 2025
Photograph credit score: Tony Chang/Chang Pictures
An previous tennis adage informs us: What you do not know can harm you.
Seeing her serve shattered by Alexandra Eala in a surprising 6-2, 7-5 Miami loss right this moment, Iga Swiatek conceded she was blindsided by the left-hander’s daring returns and flat darts down the road.
Filipina Fighter: Eala Shocks Keys in Miami
Within the aftermath of one of many best upsets in Miami Open historical past, Swiatek stated she typically did not see the kill shot coming from the world No. 140’s black-and-yellow Babolat racquet.
“Nicely, for positive, I did not know she’s going to play that flat, however in addition to that, nicely, she was actually aggressive, , and she or he saved her focus,” Swiatek advised the media in Miami. “And, like, I do not know, a few of these photographs have been fairly like out of nowhere.
“However nonetheless, , I might see clearly she has intentions to go ahead and to push. So it labored for her right this moment, for positive.”
World No. 1 Swiatek was No. 1 in service video games held final season.
At the moment, the left-handed wild card shredded Swiatek’s serve.
Eala broke in eight of Swiatek’s 10 service video games and pounded the Pole’s second serve profitable 19 of 25 factors performed on the second seed’s second serve.
“I imply, her being a lefty did not shock me, however for positive, like, she went all in,” Swiatek stated. “She made these returns in and fairly lengthy, and so it wasn’t straightforward to hit it again.
“She was fairly loosened up and simply went for it. Yeah, I imply, she felt the good rhythm and it helped her.”
Although Eala has skilled on the Rafa Nadal Academy for the final seven years (she calls it her “second house”), is nice associates with the king of clay and was supported right this moment by Toni Nadal, Rafa’s uncle and unique coach, sitting in her field, Eala’s sport differs from her tennis her.
Although Eala is an ultra-competitive lefty, who performs Babolat and wears Nike, like her tennis hero, she performs a lot flatter than Nadal’s crackling topspin. At the moment, Eala repeatedly rushed the second seed by stepping in, taking the ball early and drving flat strikes into the corners.
5-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek and Nadal offered Eala together with her diploma on her commencement from the Rafa Nadal Academy Faculty in Mallorca.
At the moment, the coed Eala taught the foremost grasp Swiatek a lesson within the artwork of the stealth strike.
On a number of second serves, Swiatek appeared like a blindfolded boxer: She could not see the photographs coming and her serve took a pounding.
“I feel she simply returned nicely,” Swiatek stated. “I wasn’t prepared for the subsequent ball.”
