FOR the record, Iga Swiatek had only lost 12 times on clay in her entire pro career.
Alex Eala nearly pinned loss No. 13 on her.
The defending champion from Poland battled back from a set and break down to take out Eala, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, on Friday morning (Manila time) in the second round of the WTA 1000 Mutua Madrid Open.
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The world No. 2 was unperturbed after losing a lopsided first set and falling a break down in the second, mounting a great comeback that avenged her stunning quarterfinal loss to the intrepid Filipina teen in the Miami Open last month.
In the face of another valiant effort from Eala, Swiatek’s experience and composure under pressure came through in the decider of a match that lasted two hours and 14 minutes in the clay court of Caja Magica.
With the comeback, the four-time French Open champion advanced to the round of 32 to face Czech Linda Noskova in her defense of the Madrid title she won last year by beating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final.
Swiatek improved to 14-2 (win-loss) in the Madrid Open and 91-12 overall - the single best record by an active women's player on this surface.
Eala, 19, beat world No. 64 Victoriya Tomova in the first round and looked headed to another upset of a Top 5 player as she stayed calm and in control of her game in the second set while holding a one-set lead.
But from a 4-4 tie, the Filipina fell apart and dropped the next five games. Eala defiantly held in the seventh game to trim Swiatek's lead to 5-2 in third set, only to sail a forehand wide on the second match point of the Polish ace.
Still, Eala is expected to improve on her No. 72 world ranking after the win over Tomova as she continues to build up for her campaign in the French Open, where - thanks to her Miami breakthrough - she is seeded into the main draw.
The teenager is expected to enter one of two more events in Spain and Italy before heading to Roland Garros for the grand slam kicking off on May 25.
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