Filipino power!
Teenager Alexandra Eala achieved a notable victory at the Miami Open by defeating second-seeded and five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek with scores of 6-2, 7-5 in the quarterfinals.
The 19-year-old left-handed player who received a wildcard entry into the WTA 1000 event is the sole Filipino athlete on the professional tour and is currently ranked 140th.
“I am in complete disbelief right now,” Eala said. “I am on cloud nine.”
Eala has achieved notable victories over Jelena Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open champion, as well as Madison Keys, the reigning Australian Open champion.
Eala had not competed against a top 40 player prior to the Miami tournament.
Eala had not yet achieved a victory over a top 40-ranked player prior to the Miami tournament.
Eala will aim to continue her unexpected success by reaching the final when she faces Jessica Pegula in the evening semifinal. The 19-year-old from the Philippines, competing in her first WTA Tour semifinal, will compete against the American, who is participating in her third Miami semifinal in four years.
The quarterfinal match between Novak Djokovic and Sebastian Korda originally scheduled for Wednesday will now be played on Thursday. The schedule change was made in accordance with ATP regulations, which prohibit matches from continuing on court past 11 p.m. Ticket holders for Wednesday evening were offered the opportunity to purchase tickets for Thursday’s match at a reduced price of $10, either via a QR code displayed at the venue or through a link sent via email.
Additionally, ATP Next Gen players Arthur Fils and Jakub Mensik will compete on Thursday for a spot in the semifinals. Mensik, age 19 from Czechia, and Fils, age 20 from France, are both seeking their first semifinal appearance at an ATP 1000 event.
In the third quarterfinal of the day, Matteo Berrettini faces a challenging task, holding a 0-4 record against Taylor Fritz. Fritz is aiming to reach the Miami semifinals for the first time; his best result to date was reaching the quarterfinals in 2023.
Photos/Miami Open presented by Itaú
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