Miami Open: Iga Swiatek suffers shock first-round defeat while João Fonseca sets up Carlos Alcaraz clash
World No 3 Iga Swiatek suffered her first opening defeat in 74 WTA tournaments as she was beaten by world No 50 Magda Linette at the Miami Open on Thursday and then opened up on her struggles on the court.
Linette came from a set down to beat the Polish six-time Grand Slam champion 1-6 7-5 6-3 to reach the third round, where she will face Alexandra Eala.
Filipino star Eala, who defeated Laura Siegemund won 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 6-3 after nearly three-and-a-half hours, returns as a fan favourite in Miami having beaten Swiatek, Jelena Ostapenko and Madison Keys on her way to a surprise semi-final appearance at the tournament this time last year.
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Highlights of the Indian Wells match between Swiatek and Elina Svitolina
“I stopped doing anything well tactically,” Swiatek said after her match. “It just was a bad match for me in the second and third sets.
“Unconsciously, or consciously, it’s hard for me to say. I need to work to get back from that, because I haven’t felt things like that for like five years.
“I’ll just get back to work and try to get something positive out of the practices and try to figure it out.”
Swiatek had been on a run of 73 successive opening-round victories on Tour since the 2021 WTA Finals, and seemed on course to extend that streak when she broke her opponent twice while winning 88 per cent of first serve points in a dominant first set.
Linette turned the match on its head to survive 30 unforced errors and two squandered match points at 5-2, eventually clinching it with her fourth match point in the ninth game of the deciding set.
“I think I am a bit confused. There’s no way but forward,” the 24-year-old Swiatek said.
“Tennis feels complicated in my head. I know it’s supposed to be simple. In terms of my mentality and how I feel on court, it’s going to take a while.”
Fellow countrywoman Linette was complimentary of Swiatek, suggesting she has set the tone for many players to follow.
“I don’t like to make a fuss about it because there aren’t too many Polish players, so there’s a little more attention,” said Linette, who plays Alexandra Eala next.
“Obviously Iga sets such a high standard for us that’s often not reachable.
“I think it was an amazing win for me, it means so much at this stage of my career but I don’t want to comment about it in a way that could put her down.”
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Highlights of the Miami Open first round match between Martin Damm Jr. and Jacob Fearnley
Elsewhere Britain’s Jacob Fearnley was forced to retire after losing the first set 6-0 in his match against Martin Damm Jr.
Fonseca excited by Alcaraz challenge
Joao Fonseca will face Carlos Alcaraz next
Brazilian rising star Joao Fonseca beat Fabian Marozsan 6-4 3-6 6-2 to set up a second-round meeting with World No 1 Carlos Alcaraz.
It comes a week after the 19-year-old went toe to toe in a close defeat to Jannik Sinner at Indian Wells, falling in two tie-breakers.
“Facing Alcaraz is just a great experience for me. And yeah, last tournament, playing against Jannik (Sinner) and now playing against Carlos is, like I said, great experience and a great achievement for me,” he said.
“It’s just for me as a teenager and second year on tour, facing those guys is just important for my development at any time.
“I wanted to face them to see how I am, my level, where I can go, what those guys do that the other players don’t, so how they deal with pressure. So it’s just important for me to learn those things and I think it’s going to be a great match.”
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Alcaraz, who received a bye into the second round, had been on an 18-match winning run before losing to Daniil Medvedev at Indian Wells.
That streak included victory at the Australian Open as he became the youngest player to complete the career Grand Slam at the age of 22 years and 272 days old.
“I’m a top 40 guy playing against a top one guy,” said Fonseca. “Of course he’s the favourite by far. I’m just the underdog, but I need to believe that I can win.
“If no, I am just not going to have any chance. I think that’s the mentality. That’s the way that I need to step on court tomorrow and trying to get the opportunities.”
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