MADRID: Defending Madrid Open champion Iga Swiatek survived a debut scare to beat rising teenage star Alexandra Eala 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 on Thursday and reach the third round in the Spanish capital.

The 19-year-old Filipina, who beat Swiatek in straight sets on a shock run to the Miami Open semi-finals in March, claimed the first set as the world number two struggled.Swiatek, who has been below her best so far this season, found her rhythm in the second set and eventually downed Eala, ranked 72nd, with ease in the third.

`It wasn`t easy to get into the rhythm and the right timing and I`m happy that I was just patient,` Swiatek told Spanish broadcaster TVE. `I always love playing here, for sure I`m proud of my performances inthe last two years.

Eala broke Swiatek in the first game and produced two battling holds on her first two service games, saving two break points in each as the Pole hunted for a way back in.

The exciting Filipina saved another break point in the sixth game before breaking Swiatek to love for a 5-2 lead in the Madrid sun.

Clay court expert Swiatekrecovered a break but Eala was able to serve out her advantage, capturing her third set point when the five-time Grand Slam champion sent a backhand long.

Swiatek only converted one of six first-set break points against the resilient Eala, who won both of hers.

The teenager again broke in the first game of the second set, but this time Swiatek, who has four French Open titles, was able to respond immediately.

When Eala broke again for a 3-2 lead, Swiatek followed suit to get back on serve, with the Pole raisingherleveltowardstheend of the second set.

She broke to love in the 10th game to force a deciding set and spedthroughit,securingbreaks in the second and sixth games.

Eala wrestled a break back and saved a match point as Swiatek overcooked a backhand, but eventually the reigning champion triumphed as the teenager went long.

SwiatekwillfaceCzechLinda Noskova in the third round.

In other matches, Anastasija Sevastova ousted 2017 French Open winner and Latvian compatriot Jelena Ostapenko 7-6 (7/2), 6-2. Ostapenko beat Swiatek in the Stuttgart quarter-finals last week.

World number seven MirraAndreeva, who will turn 18 on Tuesday, reached the third round by defeating Marie Bouzkova 6-3, 6-4, while Brazil`s Bia Haddad Maia rallied to beat Bernard Pera 2-6, 6-3, 6-1.

American Katie Volynets lost 6-1, 6-2 to Diana Shnaider, and countrywoman Emma Navarro won 7-5, 7-5 against Maya Joint.

On the men`s side, former world world number four Kei Nishikori defeated Alexsandar Vukic 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 for his 450th tour-level win. The 64th-ranked Japanese was a 2014 finalist in Madrid.

`I had no idea,` the 35-yearold Nishikori said about his milestone. `I just try to play one match at a time. It`s a lot, yes... I have played for 18 years now, hopefully I can reach 500 [wins].

He will play 29th-seed Denis Shapovalov in the second round.

David Goffin had to retire while losing 1-0 in the third set against Alexandre Muller, while Lorenzo Sonego beat Miomir Kecmanovic 6-4, 7-6 (7/5).

ALCARAZ PULLS OUT Third-ranked Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the tournament on Thursday, citing hamstring and groin injuries as the 21-year-old takes a break to recover for his French Opentitle defence next month.

Alcaraz sustained the injury during the final of the Barcelona Open where he was denied a third title by Denmark`s Holger Rune, who stunned the Monte Carlo Masters champion in straight sets.

`I couldn`t practice the entire week and found out I had hamstring and groin injuries. I needed to listen to my body and make the right decision, Alcaraz told reporters.

`On Monday I`ll have more medical tests and after that we will have a better idea on how long I`ll be out. This tournament is very exciting, but things haven`t worked out the way I wanted to be able to compete. It hurts me not to be able to play here in Madrid in front of my people, my friends and my f amily.

Alcaraz had received a bye into the second round and was scheduled to play his first match on Friday.

The next major tournament in the claycourt swing is the Italian Open, a Masters 1000 event from May 7-18 in Rome, where world number one Jannik Sinner is expected to make a comeback from his doping ban .

The French Open main draw gets under way on May 25.

-Agencies