World number 2 Iga Swiatek battled past former world number 3 player Elina Svitolina 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 in 2 hours ad 5 minutes after midnight in a hard-fought match to complete the Round of 16 line-up at the Miami Open.
Swiatek went up a break three times, but Svitolina broke back each time in the next game setting up a tie-break. Swiatek earned an early mini-break to race out to a 3-0 lead. Svitolina pulled back on serve for 3-4. Swiatek earned a second mini-break, but Svitolina won the next two points to draw level to 5-5. Swiatek earned her first set point at 6-5 with a crosscourt backhand winner and closed out the tie-break 7-5 with a forehand winner after 62 minutes.
Svitolina earned an early break in the first game of the second set. Swiatek won four consecutive games with two breaks of serve to race out to a 4-1 lead. The Polish player had three break points in the sixth game, but Svitolina fended them off before pulling back on serve at 4-3. Swiatek earned another break in a hard-fought eighth game to take a 5-3 lead and served out the win on her first match point. Swiatek ended the match with 34 winners to Svitolina’s 22.
“It was much tougher to problem-solve, especially because Elina was also putting on some pressure. I needed to adjust, and I’m happy that I picked the right moments at the end to play more aggressively, and sometimes I was more patient”, said Swiatek.
Swiatek has not won a title this season, but she is the tour leader in main-draw match-tour wins this season. Her win over Svitolina was her 21st of the season. She has moved ahead of Mirra Andreeva and Aryna Sabalenka, who are second with 20 wins apiece.
Swiatek is seeking her second Miami Open three years after her triumph in 2022, when she became the fourth player in history to complete the Sunshine Double after Stefanie Graf (twice), Kim Clijsters and Victoria Azarenka.
Swiatek has a record of 13 wins to just one defeat against Ukrainian players. She lost against Svitolina in the 2023 quarter finals at Wimbledon.
