Iga Swiatek will face Alexandra Eala in the Wimbledon third round on Saturday. Both players secured straight-set or comeback victories in the second round on July 2.
Swiatek defeated Karolina Pliskova 6-1, 6-3. She described Eala’s game as tricky due to changes in rhythm and slice shots that disrupt pace on grass.
Eala became the first Filipino woman to reach the third round of a Grand Slam after beating Maya Joint 3-6, 6-2, 6-0. She marked the win by having the Court 3 crowd sing Happy Birthday to her coach Joan Bosch.
The pair split their previous two meetings, with Eala winning in Miami and Swiatek prevailing in Madrid. Swiatek leads the head-to-head 1-1 entering their first grass-court encounter.
Swiatek also addressed questions about her first-round emotions and performance ratings, rejecting overly philosophical interpretations while rating her own play a B rather than an A+.