Can Eala make it three power-player victims in a row? She has some of the traits of her fellow lefty—and half-Filipino—Leylah Fernandez. Neither is tall, but they make up for it by playing close to the baseline and taking every ball they can on the rise. That’s not an easy way to win, especially against Swiatek, who is No. 2 in the world, a past champion in Miami, and who hits with a heavy, bouncy topspin that can be hard to time.
Swiatek has played some tight sets in her three matches in Miami, but hasn’t lost any of them so far. She should be able to attack Eala’s serve, but she may have to deal with Eala doing the same to her second serve. I’ll just finish by saying that Swiatek and Fernandez have played twice, and Iga has lost a total of five games. Winner: Swiatek—Steve Tignor
