(2ND UPDATE) Alex Eala has done it again.
The Filipina wildcard pulled off the biggest upset of her career, stunning world no. 2 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in the round of 16 of the WTA 500 Berlin Open on Thursday.
Eala came out strong in the opening set to topple the former Wimbledon champion and advance to the quarterfinals, where she is set to face Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina.
The first set was a fierce battle of serves.
Rybakina opened with two aces in the first game to hold comfortably, but Eala responded with a gutsy service game of her own, bouncing back from 0-30 with two clean forehand winners to level at 1-1.
Rybakina then turned up the power, firing six aces to race out to a commanding 4-1 lead. While it looked like the set was slipping away from the Filipina star, Eala refused to fold.
Playing with aggressive intent, she stayed low on her returns and changed ball direction brilliantly to narrow the gap to 4-3.
She then held her own serve with back-to-back aces to even the set at 4-4.
Rybakina edged ahead again at 5-4, but Eala leveled it at 5-5 with big serving of her own.
The Filipina then broke Rybakina's serve to take a 6-5 lead and closed out the first set, 7-5.
The momentum continued for Eala throughout the second set as she raced to a 5-3 lead, serving well, returning brilliantly, and winning long rallies while capitalizing on over 30 unforced errors from Rybakina.
The world no. 2 managed to hold serve and close the gap at 5-4, but Eala confidently served it out to secure the monumental straight-sets victory, 7-5, 6-4.
'I CALLED MY DAD'
Eala was still shaking when she called her father, Mike, moments after pulling off the biggest win of her career.
"I called my dad," Eala said in her post-match interview. "I said, 'Oh my God.' We were just screaming, and my mom was there and all. I'm just really happy."
Asked to reflect on what she had just accomplished, Eala admitted she was still processing the victory.
"I am a little foggy right now," she said. "I'm still shaking — and I was shaking at match point, too. But I'm really happy with the day. It could have gone either way. I think there were really tight moments in both sets and, of course, 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."
The match was far from straightforward. Rybakina came out firing in the first set, but Eala clawed her way back.
"She really started on fire and came out hot," Eala said. "I think I was able to get a couple of free points with my serve, and that helped. And just some good returning… I don't know how many aces she had in the first couple of games, so getting points in play was a big help for me."
When pressed on the secret to returning against the best server on the tour, Eala's answer was simple.
"I think you have to give yourself grace while also being brave," she said. "I think returning and my game in general — a highlight word would be to be brave. And it makes a big difference when I'm able to do that."