By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, March 26, 2025
Picture credit score: Tony Chang/Chang Pictures
An outdated tennis adage informs us: What you do not know can damage you.
Seeing her serve shattered by Alexandra Eala in a shocking 6-2, 7-5 Miami loss at the 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 biggest 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.
“Properly, for positive, I did not know she’s going to play that flat, however apart from that, effectively, she was actually aggressive, you realize, and he or she stored her focus,” Swiatek advised the media in Miami. “And, like, I do not know, a few of these pictures have been fairly like out of nowhere.
“However nonetheless, you realize, I may see clearly she has intentions to go ahead and to push. So it labored for her at the moment, for positive.”
World No. 1 Swiatek was No. 1 in service video games held final season.
Right this 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 residence”), is sweet pals with the king of clay and was supported at the moment by Toni Nadal, Rafa’s uncle and authentic 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. Right this 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 introduced Eala along with her diploma on her commencement from the Rafa Nadal Academy Faculty in Mallorca.
Right this moment, the coed Eala taught the foremost grasp Swiatek a lesson within the artwork of the stealth strike.
On a couple of second serves, Swiatek appeared like a blindfolded boxer: She could not see the pictures coming and her serve took a pounding.
“I believe she simply returned effectively,” Swiatek stated. “I wasn’t prepared for the following ball.”
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