Alex Eala slams into Berlin Open quarterfinals after win vs world No. 2 Elena Rybakina
Alex Eala, world No. 35, swept into the Berlin Open quarterfinals after earning an upset win against world No. 2 Elena Rybakina in the Berlin Open round of 16 at Steffi Graf Stadion early Friday, June 19 (Philippine time).
With a 7-5, 6-4 victory, the 21-year-old decidedly held her own despite a strong start from her Kazakhstani opponent, who is known for her fierce serve. Despite an early 4-1 lead for Rybakina, Eala blazed past, eventually quashing the margin with a 4-4.
While the opening set teetered with a 5-5, Eala eventually found her break with strong service, earning her the opening set win after almost an hour. Fans cautiously quashed their fears of a repeat of Eala's loss to Rybakina in May in the round of 32 of the Italian Open.
The second set began with service from Rybakina, the reigning WTA Finals and Australian Open titleholder and a two-time Grand Slam champion. Eala, though, caught the next three games, holding her own serve, and earned a 4-2 advantage. The pivotal moment for Eala came with a backhand error by Rybakina after an hour and 31 minutes of hard-played tennis.
After letting out a roar of triumph, Eala got on the phone with her parents, who, she said, screamed with delight along with their daughter.
"I'm really happy with today. 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. I'm happy to have been able to share the court with her again," said Eala of her opponent in the post-game interview.
Per ESPN, this was the fifth time Eala beat a Top 10 player, and her second win over the second seed of a tournament, after beating Iga Swiatek at the 2025 Miami Open's quarterfinals.
Earlier this month, Eala won her second WTA 125 singles title, with a win on a grass court against former doubles partner Nikola Bartunkova. On Wednesday, Eala upset Croatia's Donna Vekic with a 7-5, 6-4 win, which swept the Filipina into the round-of-16, where she would dominate Rybakina.
Eala is set to play against world No. 6 Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals.
