Metro Manila, Philippines – Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala continued her impressive run at the WTA 500 Berlin Tennis Open, defeating World No. 8 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, 6-3, 6-4, on Friday, June 20, to advance to the semifinals.
Fresh off her upset victory over World No. 2 Elena Rybakina, Eala delivered another composed performance against the sixth-seeded Svitolina, earning the sixth Top 10 win of her career.
The Filipina took control early, breaking Svitolina’s serve in the opening game and building a 4-1 advantage in the first set.
Svitolina managed to cut the deficit to 4-3, but Eala quickly regained momentum with another service break before closing out the set with a forehand winner.
The second set followed a similar pattern, with Eala once again securing an early break to move ahead, 2-0.
Svitolina fought back to level the set at 2-2, but Eala responded immediately with another break and maintained the lead the rest of the way.
The 20-year-old appeared on course for a comfortable finish after taking a 5-2 lead, but Svitolina mounted one final rally and trimmed the gap to 5-4.
Eala, however, held her nerve in the closing moments, winning the final four points of the match and sealing the victory with a backhand winner.
“Elina is a huge fighter, and I’ve seen it many times,” said Eala.
“I’ve been watching her since I was a kid, so to be able to compete with her today is such an honor.” she added.
Eala admitted the closing stages of the match were the toughest.
“That was the most difficult moment of the match. It’s not easy, especially when she’s coming back and being more aggressive. But in the end, I was able to conjure everything I had left in my brain, and it ended well,” she said.
Seeking a place in the final, Eala will next face Czech Republic’s Linda Noskova in the semifinals.
The two last met at Indian Wells earlier this year, where Noskova won in straight sets.
