Australian Open champion Madison Keys was dumped out of the Miami Open third round on Sunday, falling 6-4 6-2 to Philippine wild card Alexandra Eala, while Novak Djokovic earned a record-setting 411th ATP Masters 1000 level match win.
For 19-year-old Eala, the upset victory over the American fifth seed extended her dream run in Miami where she has now toppled two Grand Slam champions having beaten 2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko in the second round.
“I am just in disbelief,” she told Tennis Channel. “I knew I could win from the start but the chances were low given that she is a great player, but I think my belief and the trust I had in myself is what pushed me through.”
Eala, who has trained at Rafa Nadal’s academy in Mallorca since she was 13, required a medical timeout for what appeared to be a leg injury but was a force from the baseline against Keys, who reached the Indian Wells semi-final last week.
Up next for Eala, who has not dropped a set in Miami, will be Spanish 10th seed Paula Badosa.
Former champion Iga Swiatek earned a 7-6(2) 6-1 win over Belgian 27th seed Elise Mertens that made the Polish second seed the first player to reach the last 16 of a WTA 1000 event in 25 consecutive appearances.
Swiatek built a seemingly comfortable 5-2 lead in the first set but Mertens managed to claw back to 5-5 before the Pole ran away with the tiebreaker and breezed through the second frame.
Top seeds Zverev, Aryna Sabalenka advance at Miami Open
“I’m happy that I got my level up in the tiebreaker to close it in two sets. Also in the second set I felt like I was playing good, big confidence,” said Swiatek. “Yeah, overall I’m happy with the performance and how I worked through some issues.”
Up next for Swiatek will be Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, who beat Czech 15th seed Karolina Muchova 6-2 3-6 6-2 and is looking to build on her run to the Indian Wells quarter-final where she lost to eventual champion Mirra Andreeva.
Djokovic sets record
In other women’s action, Andreeva’s bid for a ‘Sunshine Double’ ended as American 17th seed Amanda Anisimova beat the Russian 11th seed 7-6(5) 2-6 6-3.
Anisimova will next face former U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu, who advanced after American McCartney Kessler retired due to a lower back injury while trailing the Briton 6-1 3-0.
American fourth seed Jessica Pegula rallied to beat Russian Anna Kalinskaya 6-7(3) 6-2 7-6(2) and will face Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in the fourth round.
Six-times champion Djokovic moved into the fourth round with a 6-1 7-6(1) triumph over Argentine lucky loser Camilo Ugo Carabelli that moved the Serbian fourth seed ahead of Nadal and into top spot on the all-time list of Masters 1000 match wins.
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