Iga Swiatek’s Miami Open campaign came to an abrupt end after she crashed out in her opening match.
The Pole, seeded second at the WTA 1000 tournament, was a set up in her second-round bout with compatriot Magda Linette.
But Linette fought her way back into the contest and emerged victorious in three sets, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 to advance to round three.
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Swiatek had not lost an opening match at a tournament since the 2021 WTA Finals prior to the clash in Miami.
After securing a huge win over the six-time major champion, Linette revealed how she managed the feat.
Magda Linette discusses her victory over Iga Swiatek in Miami
In an interview with Tennis Channel, Linette said: “I felt I was playing better than last time and had a better idea of what to do. I was also serving better than last time.”
The last meeting between the two came at the 2023 China Open, where Swiatek dominated to win 6-1, 6-1.
Linette continued: “I was hoping to hold my serve first to get ahead and keep being ahead all the time because then you might get a chance here or there and eventually I did.
“I think that was the most important to really stay strong on my service games.”
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“She was playing at a fast tempo so she didn’t really give me any time in between. I just had to go for a little bit more and start hitting a little bit faster to push her a little bit back and don’t give her space.
“But it all started with serving a bit better and getting a bit more from my first and second serve.
“She gets really good on those break points and match points down, she starts swinging and she is way less passive.
“I did not do too much wrong. I had that one forehand I really regretted, but I still went for it as I wanted to gain an advantage in the point and maybe create something.
“I just knew I had to stay strong on my serve. I was really trusting my serve today, especially in that third set, so I was not as nervous but definitely the hitting could have been better on that match point as I got a bit lucky.”
Magda Linette’s next opponent at the Miami Open
Linette enjoyed her joint-best finish at a WTA 1000 competition in Miami last year by reaching the quarterfinals.
In the 2025 edition of the event, she knocked out 18th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova and third seed Coco Gauff.
The WTA veteran, now 34 years old, was ultimately knocked out by Jasmine Paolini in the last eight stage.
Now, after beating Swiatek, Linette has blown the bottom half of the draw wide open, though her next task won’t be an easy one.
In the third round, she will take on last year’s semifinalist Alexandra Eala, who came through a tough first assignment in the form of Laura Siegemund.
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