Alexandra Eala becomes the third wildcard player to make it to the Miami Open semi-finals. BBC
Alexandra Eala pulled off a huge surprise at the Miami Open by defeating world number two Iga Swiatek in straight sets. The 19-year-old Filipina played with confidence and determination, winning 6-2, 7-5 to advance to the semi-finals.
Swiatek, a four-time Grand Slam champion, struggled throughout the match. Her serve was broken eight times, and she made several unforced errors. Eala, ranked 140th in the world, took full advantage of Swiatek’s mistakes, staying calm under pressure.
After the match, Eala admitted she was still processing the victory. "My mind is really blank, I don't think I've processed what I've just done," she said. "In the end, I'm still the same player I was two weeks ago."
Eala has been making history for the Philippines in tennis. In 2021, she became the first Filipina to win a WTA Tour match. The following year, she claimed the US Open junior title. Her success has made her a rising star in the tennis world.
She trained at the Rafael Nadal Academy, where she honed her skills under the guidance of top coaches. Her journey in Miami has been impressive, with wins over major champions like Jelena Ostapenko and Madison Keys. She received a walkover in the fourth round after Paula Badosa withdrew due to injury.
Facing Swiatek was Eala’s toughest challenge yet, but she played with confidence. She had previously met Swiatek when the Polish star presented her with a graduation certificate at the Nadal Academy two years ago.
Eala’s coach advised her to fight for every point. "My coach told me to run, to go for every ball, to take all the opportunities I can, because a five-time Slam champion is not going to give you the win," she said.
Her next match will be against either Britain’s Emma Raducanu or American Jessica Pegula. This victory also guarantees that Eala will enter the world’s top 100 rankings for the first time.
Zverev Out, Djokovic Advances in Men's Draw
In the men’s singles, top seed Alexander Zverev was eliminated by France’s Arthur Fils in the fourth round. Zverev lost 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, leaving only Novak Djokovic and Taylor Fritz as the remaining top-10 seeds.
Djokovic will face Sebastian Korda in the quarter-finals, with the winner set to play Grigor Dimitrov. Dimitrov showed incredible resilience in his match against Francisco Cerundolo, securing a hard-fought 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) victory.
In doubles, British pair Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool reached the semi-finals after a close 7-6 (7-1), 3-6, 10-8 win over Yuki Bhambri and Nuno Borges.
