Alex Eala advances to Eastbourne Open quarterfinals as opponent retires due to injury
Filipino tennis star Alex Eala on June 25 advanced to the quarterfinals of the Lexus Eastbourne Open in the United Kingdom after coming back stronger off a disastrous first set against Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko.
Eala defeated Ostapenko, 0 to 6, 6 to 2, and 3 to 2. Early in the third set, the World No. 19 Ostapenko sustained a left ankle injury and carried on, even leading against the World No. 74 Eala, but ultimately retired.
In a postgame interview, Eala said it's "never a good feeling to finish a match like that."
“I hope everything's okay with her because it was really a tough battle today, and I think both of us were on the brink," the 20-year-old said. "It could have been anyone's match, so I wish her a speedy recovery. I’m just super happy to be able to play again in this beautiful place."
Eala had defeated Ostapenko in an upset during the Miami Open in March.
The Filipino athlete is set to face Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska.
Eala quickly rose to fame in March after finishing in the semifinals and historically beating three Grand Slam winners in Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and Iga Swiatek during the Miami Open.
From being 140th in the world, Eala moved up to the Top 100 of the Women's Tennis Association rankings.
The Filipina began her training at 13 years old in Rafael Nadal's academy in Mallorca, Spain.
The Lexus Eastbourne Open, played on outdoor grass courts, will run from June 23 to 28.
