Iga Swiatek moved closer to clinching her first title of 2025 after battling past Elina Svitolina to reach the quarter-finals of the Miami Open. 

Swiatek needed two hours and five minutes to edge past former world number three Svitolina, eventually emerging a 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 victor. 

The Pole managed to find three breaks in the opening set but was pegged back each time by her opponent, with a tie-break deciding who would go in front. 

Svitolina roared back from 3-0 down, but Swiatek dug deep and closed out the first set with a brilliant forehand winner after 62 gruelling minutes. 

In the second set, Swiatek surged into a 4-1 lead after three consecutive break points, but Svitolina swatted those away to go within one game of the number two seed. 

But another break in favour of Swiatek in the eighth game proved decisive, and she was able to seal the victory with a fierce volley at the net. 

"It was much tougher to problem-solve, especially because Elina was also putting on some pressure," Swiatek said on court after her win.

"I needed to adjust, and I’m happy that I picked the right moments at the end to play more aggressively, and sometimes I was more patient."

Swiatek will face wild card Alexandra Eala in the final eight after Paula Badosa withdrew ahead of their round of 16 match due to a lower back injury. 

78.7 - Since the format's introduction in 2009, Iga Swiatek (78.7%, 37-10) holds the best win rate of any player at WTA-1000 events against former WTA-1000 champions – minimum five matches. Benchmark.#MiamiOpen | @MiamiOpen @WTA @WTA_insider pic.twitter.com/uLZCpKPdXu

— OptaAce (@OptaAce) March 25, 2025

Data Debrief: Swiatek edging closer to Azarenka record

Though Swiatek is without a title in 2025, she has proved her worth already this season, with Svitolina yet another former WTA-1000 champion to lose to the world number two. 

Indeed, since the format's introduction in 2009, Swiatek (78.7% - 37-10) holds the best win rate of any player at WTA-1000 events against former champions. 

She now only trails Victoria Azarenka (41) for the most WTA-1000 match wins over former WTA-1000 champions, with her win over Svitolina her 37th such victory, putting her level with Petra Kvitova. 

But Swiatek was forced to overcome a decider in the opening set. She has now won multiple tie-breaks at a single WTA-level event for the first time since Wimbledon 2023.