How world No. 1 Swiatek's Miami Open campaign ended in shock loss to Alexandrova

What sets Iga Swiatek apart in the tennis world is her arsenal of intimidating tricks up her sleeve. As the current world No. 1, the Polish talisman possesses a lethal combination of pace, power, and precision from both sides of the court. With her deceptive shots, strategic plays and impressive athleticism, she keeps her opponents on their toes, and many of the world's best struggle to cope with her game when she hits her stride.  

At just 22 years old, Swiatek has already amassed an impressive collection of eight WTA 1000 titles and four Grand Slam titles, totaling 19 trophies overall. It's no wonder that when Ekaterina Alexandrova faced Swiatek in the Miami Open round of 16 on Monday night, the odds were heavily against the Russian. However, at the end of the day, Alexandrova managed to pull off the biggest upset of the tournament so far, edging out Swiatek 6-4, 6-2.

"I didn't have any expectations going into the match because I knew it was going to be an incredibly difficult battle," a visibly emotional Alexandrova shared with the crowd after her breakthrough during her on-court interview.

"We have faced each other numerous times in the past, and every encounter has been a fierce competition. Playing against her is always a daunting task... Sometimes I came close, but still fell short. I simply focused on giving my best, and I believe I performed quite well."

Undeterred by the reputation of her opponent, Alexandrova made a strong statement right from the start, breaking Swiatek in the opening game and maintaining her dominance throughout. Her first serve and forehand proved to be formidable weapons, leaving Swiatek unable to find a response to the precision of Alexandrova's shots. 

Swiatek managed to generate just one break point during the tie, but Alexandrova matched her intensity and swiftly saved it, extending her lead to 4-2 in the first set. With a decisive winner, Alexandrova sealed the opening set in less than 50 minutes.

Although Swiatek had staged a comeback to oust Czech star Linda Noskova in her previous outing, she struggled to gain any momentum this time around. Despite a solid first serve percentage, Swiatek was unable to establish her baseline dominance.

Taking full advantage of her adversary's uncharacteristic lapse, Alexandrova calmly navigated through the second set, sealing her first-ever victory against a top-ranked player. The pieces fell into place, and the fairy tale reached its glorious conclusion.