Berlin: Filipino wild card Alexandra Eala kept her winning form at the Berlin Open, pulling off a 7-5, 6-4 upset over World No. 2 Elena Rybakina to reach the quarterfinals of the WTA 500 event on the grass of the Steffi Graf Stadium in Germany on Thursday (Friday, Manila time).
According to Philippines News Agency, Eala expressed her emotions after the victory, stating, "I'm still shaking, and I was shaking on match point, too. But I'm really happy with today, of course. It could have gone either way. I think there were really tight moments in both sets, and she's an amazing player. She's the one to beat, so I'm happy to have been able to share the court with her again." This win marked a significant turnaround for Eala, who had previously lost to Rybakina at the Italian Open last month.
Eala, ranked No. 35 in the world and the 2025 Southeast Asian Games singles gold medalist, now sets her sights on her next opponent, No. 6 seed Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, who recently defeated German Eva Lys, 6-3, 6-2. Eala's journey in the tournament has been remarkable, having previously defeated HSBC Championships champion Donna Vekic in the second round.
In other matches, No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka overcame Ekaterina Alexandrova with a 6-4, 6-4 victory, setting up a match with 2023 Wimbledon junior finalist Nikola Bartunkova. Other players advancing to the next stage include former champion Jessica Pegula, Paula Badosa, Madison Keys, and Linda Noskova.
