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Poland's Iga Swiatek, July 12, 2025. Kirill Kudryavtsev, AFP/File

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Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17739680250721773968021700.jpeg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Poland&#x27;s Iga Swiatek, July 12, 2025. Kirill Kudryavtsev, AFP/File </span></span></span></div><p>Iga Swiatek crashed out of the Miami Open second round Thursday as 50th-ranked fellow Pole Magda Linette fought back for a 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory over the six-time Grand Slam champion.</p><p>Reigning Wimbledon champion Swiatek, who won the Miami Open in 2022, suffered her first opening loss at a tournament since the 2021 WTA Finals.</p><p>It&#x27;s just the latest disappointment for Swiatek, who was eliminated in the quarter-finals at the Australian Open and in the WTA 1000 events in Doha and Indian Wells.</p><p>Although she was seeded second in the elite combined ATP and WTA hardcourt tournament in Miami, Swiatek dropped this week to third in the world as Indian Wells finalist Elena Rybakina moved up behind top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka.</p><p>Swiatek&#x27;s compatriot Linette had to dig deep after Swiatek -- who won their last encounter 6-1, 6-1 -- raced through the opening set in 33 minutes.</p><p>But she stuck to her guns and Swiatek double-faulted to give Linette two break points in the 12th game of the second set, Linette forcing a third set with a return winner.</p><p>&quot;I just had to go for a little bit more,&quot; Linette told Tennis Channel. &quot;I had to start hitting a little bit faster, too, to push her a little bit more back, not give her space.</p><p>&quot;But I think it all started with serving a bit better,&quot; she added.</p><p>Swiatek didn&#x27;t go meekly, saving a pair of match points on her own serve in the eighth game of the third and two more as Linette served for the match, before Linette sealed the win as Swiatek sent a backhand wide.</p><p>&quot;She actually gets really good on those break points down, match points down,&quot; Linette said. &quot;She starts swinging. I just knew I had to stay strong on my serve.&quot;</p><p>Linette advanced to a third-round matchup against 20-year-old <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/3/20/eala-rallies-past-siegemund-in-gritty-three-set-battle-to-advance-at-miami-open-0425">Alexandra Eala of the Philippines</a>, a 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 6-3 winner over Germany&#x27;s Laura Siegemund.</p><p>&quot;It really was close,&quot; said Eala, a surprise semi-finalist last year who needed three hours and 20 minutes to close out the victory.</p><p>&quot;It was demanding, physically and mentally. But that was one of my goals last year after the tournament, to improve physically, and here I am fresh as a flower.&quot;</p><p>It was the longest WTA career match for 29th-ranked Eala, who beat Swiatek in last year&#x27;s Miami Open quarter-finals for the biggest win of her career before losing to American Jessica Pegula in the semi-finals.</p><p>The upcoming clash adds another chapter to a growing rivalry between Linette and Eala. The two last met earlier this year at the ASB Classic in Auckland, where Eala delivered a commanding 6-3, 6-2 victory to reach the semifinals.</p><p>The win was particularly significant for the Filipina rising star, who had previously lost both of her earlier meetings with Linette—at Nottingham in 2025 and Abu Dhabi in 2024—making her breakthrough victory in Auckland a statement moment.</p><p>With both players now set to meet again on a bigger stage in Miami, their head-to-head storyline adds intrigue to an already wide-open draw following Swiatek’s shock exit.</p><p>&quot;She (Eala) definitely improved,&quot; Linette said. &quot;She&#x27;s a little bit more solid. Her serve got better. It&#x27;s a little bit more consistent and a little bit more difficult. So it&#x27;s gonna be a tough one.&quot; </p><div><iframe width="725" height="408" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cGvu-LZZp5Y" title="Alex Eala talks about what it took to win match vs Laura Siegemund" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> </div><p>Former world number one Venus Williams, 45, lost her first-round match to Britain&#x27;s Francesca Jones 7-5, 7-5 after one hour and 51 minutes.</p><p>Jones advanced to a second-round match against fifth seed Pegula, last year&#x27;s Miami runner-up to Sabalenka.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>FONSECA BOOKS ALCARAZ CLASH</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>On the men&#x27;s side 19-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca outlasted Hungary&#x27;s Fabian Marozsan 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, to book a second-round match with world number one Carlos Alcaraz.</p><p>Fonseca, ranked 39th, was strongly backed by Brazilian fans as he booked a first-ever meeting with Alcaraz and his second marquee contest in as many tournaments after falling to Jannik Sinner at Indian Wells last week.</p><p>French 17-year-old Moise Kouame beat qualifier Zachary Svajda 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 to become the youngest player to claim an ATP Masters 1000 victory since Rafael Nadal in Hamburg in 2003.</p><p>Kouame, who received a wild card invitation, next faces 21st seed Jiri Lehecka of Czech Republic.</p><p>Kouame, who battled through cramping late in the match, was thrilled to receive a message of congratulations from his idol Novak Djokovic.</p><p>&quot;He texted me something really, really nice,&quot; Kouame said. &quot;I don&#x27;t know how I&#x27;m going to answer. Hopefully I can meet him... it will be my dream.&quot;</p><div><strong>— With a report from TJ Manotoc, ABS-CBN News </strong><iframe width="827" height="465" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C88U7OxkrEM" title="Alex Eala driving global attention to tennis, says NYT&#x27;s Matthew Futterman | ABS-CBN News" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div> </div>

<p>Six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek crashed out of the Miami Open on Thursday, falling in her opening match to Polish compatriot Magda Linette 1-6, 7-5, 6-3.</p>

Six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek crashed out of the Miami Open on Thursday, falling in her opening match to Polish compatriot Magda Linette 1-6, 7-5, 6-3.

Swiatek stunned at Miami Open by 50th-ranked Linette

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Swiatek stunned at Miami Open by 50th-ranked Linette

Agence France-Presse

Published Mar 20, 2026 08:55 AM PHT

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Updated Mar 20, 2026 10:31 AM PHT

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tennis

Iga Swiatek

Magda Linette

Miami Open

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