Alexandra Eala of the Philippines celebrates her win following a women's singles match against Leylah Fernandez of Canada during day three of the Mubadala Citi DC Open 2026 at William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center on July 29, 2026 in Washington, DC. Emilee Chinn, Getty Images/AFP
(UPDATED) Alex Eala continues to roll, as the Filipina tennis star advanced to the third round of the 2026 Canadian Open with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 win over Alycia Parks of the United States.
Cheered on by a vocal Filipino crowd at the Sobeys Stadium in Toronto, Eala dug deep after dropping the second set and finally broke Parks' resistance in the decider.
Eala, coming off a maiden WTA Tour title in Washington, had received a bye to the second round of the Toronto event as the 25th seed.
READ: Alex Eala turns back Pegula, makes history with DC Open title
After alternating holds in the first three games, Eala seized control of the opening set with a break in the fourth game and dominated from there.
But world no. 71 Parks raised her level in the second set, and both players held their serve until the tenth, when Parks broke Eala to love and sent the match to a decider.
The third frame was shaping up to be a back-and-forth affair until Eala broke Parks to love in the fifth game, with the American dumping consecutive forehands into the net. It was all Eala from there, and the Filipina held to love to close out the match in an hour and 51 minutes.
Afterward, Eala was effusive in her thanks to the Filipinos who showed up, waving flags and carrying signs of support for her.
"I am eternally grateful. I just came off Washington, so I really feel like this is a celebration," she said.
"Alam niyo, linggo-linggo ko kayo nakikita, sinusuporta ako. Linggo-linggo ko nakikita kung gaano niyo kamahal ang kapwa niyo Pinoy," she added. "Kaya proud na proud na proud na proud ako din maging Pinoy."
A similarly vocal crowd had cheered Eala on throughout her campaign in Washington, which she capped by beating Jessica Pegula in the final for her first WTA crown.
"Thank you everybody who is here tonight, thank you to everyone who is supporting tennis and creating atmospheres like this. It's really the pleasure of my life to experience these things," she said.
Eala will now play Caty McNally, who stunned reigning Wimbledon champion Linda Nosková in their second round match.
The Filipina also gained a measure of revenge against Parks, who had beaten her when they first played earlier this year at the Australian Open.
Meanwhile, in other results, second seed Second seed Elena Rybakina, third seed Jessica Pegula and fourth-seeded Coco Gauff also advanced to the third round of the WTA 1000 tournament.
Australian Open champion Rybakina of Kazakhstan began her hardcourt run ahead of the US Open by outlasting Australian Daria Kasatkina 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 after two hours and 33 minutes.
Pegula, who lost Monday in a rain-hit Washington final, was also extended to three sets before advancing with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 triumph over Poland's Magdalena Frech in two hours and three minutes.
Another American, two-time Grand Slam winner Gauff, cruised into the third round by dispatching compatriot Kayla Day 6-2, 7-5.
World number five Mirra Andreeva also advanced in straight sets, the Russian teen cruising past Czech Karolina Pliskova 6-0, 6-2.
-- with Agence France-Presse