“WTA sucks, ranking doesn’t matter”- Iga Swiatek’s loss to Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova at the Miami Open sparks debate among fans on social media
Swiatek's plan to achieve the Sunshine Double for the second time in three years was shot down by a spirited performance by Alexandrova.
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Iga Swiatek (Image via IMAGO)
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek will have to wait for her second title in Miami as she was defeated in the round of 16 at the 2024 Miami Open. Up against World No. 16 Ekaterina Alexandrova, the Pole was on the other side of an upset as the Russian won the match 6-4, 6-2, sparking a huge debate.
Coming into the tie, Swiatek was unbeaten in her last eight matches, dropping a set only once. Fresh from winning her second title at the WTA-1000 Indian Wells, the Pole was looking to repeat the feat in Miami. This would have given her a second career Sunshine Double, but Alexandrova rained on her party.
It was a controlled performance by Alexandrova, who was disciplined in various aspects. She remained close to the baseline throughout the match and got the better of Swiatek.
The Pole could create a solitary breakpoint chance but failed to convert it. Meanwhile, the 14th seed converted three of her six breakpoints.
Coming into the match, the win predictor showed Swiatek an 88% chance of winning. But it was proven wrong convincingly by the 29-year-old. Alexandrova won 64% of the points in the match to record her first win over a current World No. 1 and move into the quarterfinals in Miami.
As Swiatek exits the tournament, the four-time Tour title winner is into her third quarterfinal at the WTA-1000 events. Having lost to the three-time French Open singles winner in the third round in Doha as well, it was good revenge for the Russian.
Iga Swiatek gets trolled for her loss as the quality of the WTA Tour is questioned on social media
As Swiatek was looking like the clear favorite for the tie, many were disappointed with her straight-set defeat. While it was just the third loss of the season in 25 matches for World No. 1, social media users still found an excuse to troll her.
Similar to Swiatek, World No. 3 Coco Gauff also went down in three sets against a struggling Caroline Garcia. With Aryna Sabalenka defeated in the third round, all three top seeds have been knocked out before the quarterfinals in Miami. As expected, this did not sit well with fans on the internet, eliciting a plethora of reactions online.
Sharing a wide spectrum of reactions online, here’s what fans have to say:
Alexandrova will now take on local favorite Jessica Pegula for a place in the semis. The World No. 5 defeated compatriot Emma Navvaro in three sets to reach the last eight. Pegula currently holds a 1-0 lead over Alexandrova in their head-to-head.
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Sarthak Shitole
(3462 Articles Published)