In an impressive run at the Miami Open on Wednesday, 19-year-old Alexandra Eala pulled off another remarkable upset by defeating Iga Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam winner and the tournament’s second seed, with a score of 6-2, 7-5 in the quarterfinals.
Eala, a left-hander and the sole professional player from the Philippines on the tennis tour, gained entry into the WTA 1000 event with a wild card. Entering the competition ranked 140th, she has continued to surprise everyone with her stunning performance.
This historic journey sees Eala entering her first WTA semifinals, where she conquered her third major champion in a match that lasted 1 hour and 37 minutes.
Next up for Eala is a face-off against the winner of the match between Jessica Pegula and Emma Raducanu, scheduled for Wednesday.
Before this, Eala took down the 2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko and the current Australian Open champion Madison Keys, who is ranked No. 5. A fourth-round walkover victory against Paula Badosa provided her with some extra rest.
The match began with Swiatek breaking Eala’s serve, but the teenager immediately responded by breaking back. The first two games stretched over 15 minutes.
Swiatek’s forehand went long on set point, allowing Eala to clinch the set in 42 minutes.
Although Eala competes under the Philippine flag, she has spent the past six years honing her skills at the Rafael Nadal Tennis Academy in Mallorca.
