MIAMI GARDENS: Austra­lian Open champion Madison Keys crashed out of the Miami Open on Sunday suffering a shock loss to 19-year-old Filipina wildcard Alexandra Eala.

Russian Mirra Andreeva, 17, coming off back-to-back WTA 1000 wins in Dubai and Indian Wells, also exited in the third round, her 13 match wining streak ending with a three sets loss to Amanda Anisimova.

The 6-4, 6-2 win for Eala over fifth-seeded American Keys prompted her to hug her team and celebrate passionately after she became the first woman from the Philippines to beat a top-10 opponent since the ranking system came into being in 1975.

Eala will now take on Spain’s Paula Badosa for a spot in the quarter-finals.

“Growing up it was tough,” she said. “You didn’t have anyone from where you’re from to pave the way. Of course you had many people to look up to around the world, but I think — I hope this takes Filipino tennis to the next step,” Eala said in her on-court interview.

Keys, who was badly beaten by Aryna Sabalenka in the Indian Wells semi-finals, conceded she was well short of her best form.

“My serve was not really there today and I just kind of felt a little flat — and when you are playing someone who makes a ton of balls back and absorbs really well, that’s not really the keys to success,” said the American.

Andreeva, the 11th seed, hoped to continue her rise up the rankings with a strong showing in Miami but appeared to be hampered by injury as she lost to 17th seeded Miami resident Anisimova.

Andreeva received lengthy medical attention in her abdominal area when 2-1 down in the first set, which she lost 7-6(7/5).

She bounced back, dominating the second set 6-2 but Anisimova won the third set of the 2 hour and 49-minute battle 6-3.

Anisimova will face Emma Raducanu in the fourth round, after the British player advanced when her American opponent McCartney Kessler retired injured in the second set of their encounter.

Iga Swiatek overcame a determined Elise Mertens to secure a 7-6(7/2), 6-1 victory and take her place in the last 16 at a WTA 1000 tournament for a record 25th straight event.

Second-seeded Swiatek has not lost before the last 16 at this level since Cincinnati 2021.

The Pole was 5-2 up in the first set but Mertens fought back to make it 5-5 before Swiatek was able to regain her dominance in the tie-break.

Swiatek didn’t look back from that point on, making short work of the second set as her struggles on serve improved.

In the men’s draw, Novak Djokovic broke the record for the most ATP Masters 1000 match wins with his 6-1, 7-6(7/1) win over Argentine Camilo Ugo Carabelli.

The Serb’s 411th win at this level takes him past the previous record set by Nadal.

Belgian veteran David Goffin, who eliminated world number three Carlos Alcaraz in the previous round, fell to American Brandon Nakas­hima, who won 6-3, 6-7(5/7), 6-3.

Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas, who won his first title in over a year last month at Dubai, fell to 24th-seeded American Sebastian Korda 7-6(7/4), 6-3.Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov battled to a 6-7(3/7), 6-4, 7-5 win over Karen Khachanov in a contest in which the baseline predictably dominated.

The 33-year-old’s victory made Dimitrov the fourth active player to tally 100 Masters 1000 hard-court wins. Frenchman Gael Mon­fils delighted his supporters defeating Span­iard Jaume Munar 7-5, 5-7, 7-6(7/1).

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2025