Eala begins Madrid Open bid, on possible collision course anew with Swiatek

MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala and Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek of Poland could be headed for a rematch at the Mutua Madrid Open, which kicks off Tuesday, April 22 (Manila time), in Madrid, Spain.

Eala will begin her campaign at the Mutua Madrid Open against Viktoriya Tomova of Bulgaria in the first round. 

Their match is scheduled for 5 p.m. (Manila time).

If Eala prevails over Tomova, she will face a tough challenge right away, as she is set to meet Swiatek in the second round.

Due to her high ranking, Swiatek received a first-round bye, giving her extra rest before a potential matchup with Eala.

Eala holds a 1-0 lead over Swiatek, the reigning French Open champion, in their head-to-head record.

It can be recalled that Eala stunned the Polish World No. 2 in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open last month, a 6-2, 7-5.

That match was played on a hard court.

This time, it’s a different story as the Madrid Open is played on clay — one of Swiatek’s favorite surfaces.

Swiatek has already claimed four French Open titles — in 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

This makes the potential match a daunting one for Eala.

But first, Eala must get past Tomova.

The Filipina netter is coming off a short campaign at the Oeiras Ladies Open in Portugal, where she was eliminated in the second round by Panna Udvardy of Hungary, 6-7 (4), 4-6.

Eala had admitted struggling on clay courts, as she is more accustomed to playing on hard courts.