By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_now | Wednesday, March 26, 2025
Photo Credit: Tony Chang/Chang Photos
An old tennis advertisement informs us: what you don’t know can hurt you.
Seeing it to serve shredded by Alexandra Eala At a stunning loss 6-2, 7-5 in Miami today, IgA swiatek admitted that she was blind from the bold left turn and flat arrows below the line.
FIGHTER FIGHTER: Eala shakes the keys in Miami
After one of the biggest concerns in Miami’s open history, Swiatek said she often did not see the murder blow coming from world no. 140 babolat with black and yellow.
“Well, surely, I didn’t know that she would play that flat, but besides, well, she was really aggressive, you know, and she maintained her focus,” Swiatek told Miami. “And, as, I don’t know, some of these shots were very much like nowhere.
“But still, you know, I can see clearly that she has intentions to move forward and push. So it worked for her today, for sure.”
World no. 1 Swiatte was No.1 in service games held last season.
Today, the wild left card shattered the swiatic service.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mag9tzsuvem
Eala broke in eight out of the 10 Swiattek service games and hit Paul’s second service by earning 19 out of 25 points played in the second service of the second seed.
“I want to say that she was not surprised, but for sure, she all came in,” Swiatek said. “She made these returns inside and quite long, and so it was not easy to hit her again.
“She was pretty released and just went for her. Yes, I mean, she felt the beautiful pace and that helped her.”
Although Eala has trained at Rafa Nadal Academy for the last seven years (she calls it “second home”), is a good friend with the King of Argjila and was supported today Tony Nadal, Rafa’s uncle and original coach, sitting in her box, the game of Eala differs from her tennis.
Although Eala is the ultra-competitive left, which plays Babolat and Nike’s ear, like her tennis hero, she plays much better than Nadal’s strange ball. Today, Eala has constantly rushed the second seed by getting inside, taking the ball early and driving flat strokes in the corners.
The five-time champion of Grand Slam Swiatek and Nadal presented Eala with her diploma in her graduation at the Rafa Nadal Academy School in Mallorca.
Today, student Eala taught the main master Swiatek a lesson in the art of the stealth strike.
In some seconds services, Swiatek looked like a yellow -eyed boxer: she could not see the shooting coming and her service took a strong blow.
“I think she just turned well,” said Swiatek. “I wasn’t ready for the next ball.”
