Wimbledon
London, July 4 : Iga Swiatek’s title defence at Wimbledon ended Saturday in a 7-6 (9), 6-2 third-round loss to 21-year-old Alexandra Eala, who continues to make history for the Philippines.
Eala is the first Filipino player, male or female, to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam singles tournament.
The left-handed Eala dropped to her knees and rolled onto her back on Centre Court after hitting a forehand winner on her third match point.
“It’s incredible to have my countrymen cheering me on and knowing that we’re all in this together,” she said in an on-court interview as she looked around at the Philippines flags.
“This goes out to them, this goes out to my family, this goes out to all the little girls with ruffled socks and chubby cheeks. It means the world,” said Eala, who saved two set points in the first-set tiebreaker.
The third-seeded Swiatek earned her first Wimbledon women’s title a year ago when she beat Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 in the final.
Eala, who has trained in Mallorca at the Rafael Nadal Tennis Academy, gained worldwide support last year on her breakthrough run to the Miami Open semifinals, which included an upset of Swiatek.
2022 champion Rybakina also out
Shortly before Swiatek’s exit, 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina was upset in the third round by Elise Mertens 7-6 (4), 6-1.
At No. 2, Rybakina is the highest seed on the women’s side to be eliminated and her loss ensures that Aryna Sabalenka will keep her No. 1 ranking after the tournament.
Mertens next opponent in the fourth round will be Naomi Osaka, who beat Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 6-3 on Friday.
Belgium’s Mertens is the No. 25 seed at Wimbledon, where she’s won two doubles titles.
Sabalenka advances
Sabalenka withstood a barrage of firecracker shots from the 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, winning the Centre Court clash involving two of the biggest hitters on the WTA tour in straight sets at Wimbledon late on Friday.
With a comprehensive 6-4, 6-4 win in one hour and 33 minutes, Sabalenka surged into the fourth round, keeping alive her dream of winning a maiden title at the All-England Club in London.
Sabalenka, a three-time semifinalist at Wimbledon, had more versatility and nuance to her play in the ‘grip it and rip it’ exchanges, evading danger with a 6-4, 6-4 triumph to book her place in the fourth-round. (Agencies)
