MANILA — Alexandra Eala produced the biggest victory of her young career after stunning world No. 3 and five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Świątek, 7-6(9), 6-2, on Saturday night in London to become the first Filipina to reach the fourth round of the prestigious Wimbledon Championships.
The 21-year-old Filipina outplayed one of the tournament favorites with a poised and clinical performance, surviving a gripping opening-set tiebreak before dominating the second set to eliminate the former world No. 1 and continue her historic run at the All England Club.
Eala needed one hour and 49 minutes to complete the upset, overcoming Świątek in an intense first set that ended with an 11-9 tiebreak before taking command in the second as the Polish star struggled to regain her rhythm.
The world No. 29 capitalized on Świątek’s struggles on serve, firing four aces without committing a single double fault, while the Polish standout was plagued by five double faults.
Eala also proved more effective in pressure situations, converting five of her seven break-point opportunities, compared with Świątek’s three conversions in 11 chances.
The Filipina won 54 percent of her second-serve points, well ahead of Świątek’s 41 percent, and finished with a 92-78 advantage in total points won.
“Yeah. Of course, this is one of the biggest matches of my life, for sure. And this is my dream court, so I’m really happy with the atmosphere that you guys gave. Thank you so much for cheering me on,” Eala said during her on-court interview.
“Obviously, because I’m emotional does not mean I’m satisfied. Yeah, okay. Next round. Let’s go,” added the Victorias City, Negros Occidental-native netter.
The victory sent Eala into the Round of 16, where she will face 13th-seeded Jasmine Paolini on Monday, with a coveted quarterfinal berth at stake./PN
