MANILA – Filipina tennis star Alexandra Eala stunned fifth seed Madison Keys with a 6-4, 6-2 victory in the third round of the Miami Open on Sunday (Monday morning in the Philippines) at the Miami Gardens in Florida.
Eala, a wild card ranked No. 140, overcame a significant ranking disparity against No. 5 Keys to reach the round-of-16 of the WTA 1000 event, where she will face No. 10 Paula Badosa of Spain.
With the upset win, the 19-year-old Eala becomes the first Filipino player in the Open Era to defeat a top 10 opponent since the WTA rankings system began in 1975.
Despite the odds, the left-hander Eala displayed remarkable resilience, holding her ground on the baseline and forcing Keys into long rallies that led to unforced errors.
The turning point of the match came when Keys double-faulted on Eala’s third break-point opportunity, allowing the teenager to take control.
Keys finished with 51 unforced errors against only 22 winners, while Eala remained composed with 13 winners and 21 unforced errors, breaking Keys six times.
“I can’t wait to call my mom and dad. Nakuha natin, dad, mom,” Eala said in a post-game interview. “I knew she would come out hitting. I just kept my head down and stayed humble.”
Prior to stunning Keys, Eala has defeated No. 25 ranked Jelena Ostapenko over the weekend./PN
