From a set and a break down, Swiatek escapes Eala in Madrid

Defending champion Iga Swiatek avoided a second loss to Alexandra Eala in a WTA 1000 event in as many months with a three-set comeback at the Mutua Madrid Open on Thursday, coming from a set and a break down to top the teenager from the Philippines, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Madrid: Draws | Scores | Order of play | Tournament info

Swiatek lost in a surprising straight sets to Eala in the quarterfinals in Miami, and in Madrid, she looked on course for another stunner as she fell behind a set and a break, 6-4, 3-2. But this time, the World No. 2 steadied, and won five consecutive games from 4-4 in the second set before finishing off the comeback in 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Swiatek avoided her earliest loss at a WTA 1000 event in nearly four years, having last lost in the second round of a tournament of this magnitude at the 2021 Cincinnati Open. She has won 58 consecutive opening matches at Hologic WTA Tour events, including the United Cup and WTA Finals, dating back to a first round-robin loss to Maria Sakkari at the 2021 year-end championships.

"It wasn't easy to get into the rhythm and feel the right timing, so I'm happy that I was just patient," Swiatek said post-match.

Swiatek made 25 of her 57 unforced errors in the match in the first set, and ended the contest with 40 total winners. She cleaned up her serve -- she won 85% of points on her first serve after failing to crack 60% in either of the first two sets -- and return, too, eventually breaking Eala seven times on 16 opportunities.

Reflecting on the rematch afterwards, Eala confessed: "I’m happy with the match, happy with how I competed," she said. "Obviously up a set and a break is a good situation to be in, but you have to remember that there’s another person on the other side of the court. More so, a multiple Roland Garros champion. She did well also … Things to take back and to learn.

"What was different [between Madrid and Miami] was that, in my opinion, was that she executed better in the important moments, and she had a little higher level than me in specific moments of the match."

Bidding to reach her first final of the season, Swiatek will next face another opponent who has troubled her in the past: No. 31 seed Linda Noskova. Though Swiatek has won three straight meetings against Noskova since losing to her at last year's Australian Open, two of those matches have gone three sets. And if Swiatek wins that match, she may be breathing easier knowing that Jelena Ostapenko, against whom she is 0-6, lost against her fellow Latvian Anastasija Sevastova while Swiatek was in the midst of beating Eala.