Iga Swiatek continues her good form at the Miami Open after she made it safely through to the quarter-finals.
The World number two has yet to win a title this season but she has yet to drop a set in Miami, an event she won back in 2022.
With two of her biggest challenges such as Coco Gauff and Madison Keys already out of the tournament, this further enhances the Pole’s chances of success.
Swiatek has yet to drop a set in Miami and she continued that streak with a 7-6, 6-3 victory over Elina Svitolina.
Iga Swiatek achieves something for the first time since 2023 at the Miami Open
At the Miami Open, Iga Swiatek secured her 21st match win of the season which is more than any other player on the WTA Tour.
Each time Swaitek looked to pull away from the Ukrainian, she fought back. The World number had three breaks of serve in the opening set, but Svitolina broke back in the next game.
In set two Swiatek led 4-1 before Svitolina reduced the deficit to 4-3. But the five-time Grand Slam champion showed her resolve and claimed the last two games to seal a hard-fought victory.
The 23-year-old needed two hours and five minutes to battle her way past Svitolina, who she has now beaten for the third time in her career.
This match featured the second tiebreak that Swiatek has won at the Miami Open after she outlasted Elise Mertens 7-6, 6-2 in the previous round.
This is the first time that Swiatek has won multiple tiebreaks at a single WTA event since the 2023 Wimbledon Championships, where she lost to Svitolina.
Iga Swiatek to play first time WTA quarter-finalist at the Miami Open
Swiatek will battle for a place in the semi-finals against teenager Alexandra Eala.
She became the first Filipino player to win a match against an opponent ranked inside the top 30 when she stunned Keys 6-4 6-2.
Eala reached the quarter-finals via walkover after Paula Badosa pulled out of the Miami Open due to injury. On Wednesday Swiatek will now face Eala for the first time, after a tough match against Svitolina.
“It was much tougher to problem-solve, especially because Elina was also putting on some pressure,” Swiatek said during her on-court interview.
“I needed to adjust, and I’m happy that I picked the right moments at the end to play more aggressively, and sometimes I was more patient.”
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