Alex Eala defeats world No. 20 player, enters WTA 250 quarterfinals

Young Filipino tennis player Alex Eala has advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2025 Eastbourne Open in England after WTA No. 20 Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia) withdrew due to injury in the second round match late on June 25.

After being completely overwhelmed in the first set with a score of 0-6, Eala regained the game with a 6-2 victory in the second set and temporarily led 3-2 in the deciding set before the third seed suffered an ankle injury and withdrew.

“It's never a good feeling to end a match like this. I hope she recovers soon, because it was a very tense match, it could have gone either way," Eala said.

Alex Eala thắng tay vợt hạng 20 thế giới, vào tứ kết WTA 250- Ảnh 1.

“I’m also proud that I found a solution after a difficult first set. I broke her in the third set and was in the lead before she gave up,” the Filipino added.

Eala had previously qualified for the tournament, easily beating Lucia Bronzetti in the first round. She is on a four-match winning streak – her best run since reaching the Miami Open semi-finals.

The Eastbourne Open also marked a big step forward on grass for Eala, who had little experience playing on the surface. “I think grass is starting to suit my style of play. I’m physically fine and the more I play, the more confident I become,” said the 20-year-old.

Currently ranked 74th in the WTA, Eala has temporarily risen to 68th in the live rankings and can reach a career-high ranking if she defeats Dayana Yastremska (Ukraine, ranked 42) in the quarterfinals.

Another win would take the Filipino to 64th in the WTA Live Rankings – a huge morale boost before Eala becomes the first Filipino woman to play in the main draw of Wimbledon next week.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/alex-eala-thang-tay-vot-hang-20-the-gioi-vao-tu-ket-wta-250-196250626015915557.htm