Swiatek moves into Miami Open last 16, Keys dumped out

Former champion Iga Swiatek earned a 7-6(2) 6-1 win over Elise Mertens on Sunday that put the Polish second seed into the last 16 at the Miami Open.

With the win over Belgian 27th seed Mertens, Swiatek became the first player to reach the last 16 of a WTA 1000 event in 25 consecutive appearances.

Swiatek built a seemingly comfortable 5-2 lead in the first set but Mertens managed to claw back to 5-5 before the Pole ran away with the tiebreaker and breezed through the second frame.

Up next for Swiatek will be a clash with Ukrainian 22nd seed Elina Svitolina, a 6-2 3-6 6-2 winner over Czech 15th seed Karolina Muchova.

Svitolina, who arrived in Miami fresh off a quarterfinal run at Indian Wells where she lost to eventual champion Mirra Andreeva, is now into the last 16 in Miami for the fifth time in her career.

Australian Open champion Madison Keys was dumped out, falling 6-4 6-2 to Filipino wildcard Alexandra Eala.

For 19-year-old Eala, the upset victory over the American fifth seed extended her dream run in Miami where she has now toppled two Grand Slam champions having beaten 2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko in the second round.

Eala, who has trained at Rafa Nadal's academy in Mallorca since she was 13, required a medical timeout for what appeared to be a leg injury but was a force from the baseline against Keys, who reached the Indian Wells semifinal last week.

Up next for Eala will be Spanish 10th seed Paula Badosa, a 6-3 7-6(3) winner over Dane Clara Tauson.