Filipina tennis player Alexandra Eala caused a major upset at Wimbledon after eliminating defending champion Iga Swiatek in the third round to secure her historic progress to the fourth round of the Grand Slam tournament.
The 29th seed defeated Swiatek with a score of 7-6(9), 6-2 in a match on Center Court, Saturday (4/7).
"I've made it to the second week of a Grand Slam, and that's incredible for me. Iga is an incredible player and a great person," Eala was quoted as saying on the Wimbledon website.
"For someone who grew up in the Philippines, who practiced every day with his older brother and grandfather in lace socks, light-up shoes, and chubby cheeks, this is everything."
The first set lasted a fierce 84 minutes before Eala won in a tie-break, then dominated the second set to close out the match on her third match point.
This victory made Eala the first Filipino tennis player to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament.
The 21-year-old has never been seeded in a Grand Slam tournament, has never reached the third round of a Grand Slam, and has never beaten a top-10 player in a Grand Slam tournament.
Eala dedicated the win to the Filipino people.
