Metro Manila, Philippines – Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala stunned World No. 2 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, 7-5, 6-4, in the WTA 500 Berlin Tennis Open on Wednesday, June 18.
The higher-ranked Rybakina came out strong, using her powerful serve to build a 4-1 lead in the opening set. The Kazakh star fired several aces and looked in control early.
Eala, however, remained composed and cut down on her errors. She broke Rybakina’s serve to trim the deficit to 4-3, then leveled the set at 4-4 with a strong serving of her own.
The Filipina completed the comeback late in the set, capitalizing on a string of Rybakina errors to take the opener, 7-5.
Eala carried that momentum into the second set, earning an early break for a 2-1 advantage and maintaining control with steady serving and aggressive shot-making.
The world number 35 eventually sealed the match after forcing another error from the former Wimbledon champion.
“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,” said Eala.
“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,” she added.
Seeking another major upset, Eala will next face sixth seed Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals in what will be their first career meeting.
