Alex Eala reaches Miami Open semis after pulling another huge upset, this time against five-time Grand Slam champion and world number 2, Iga Swiatek
By Marlon Bernardino
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 27 Mar 2025
Philippine teen tennis ace Alexandra "Alex" Maniego Eala enters the semi-final round of the Miami Open after pulling another huge upset, this time against five-time Grand Slam champion and world number 2, Iga Swiatek of Poland, 6-2, 7-5, Thursday early morning (Manila Time) at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, USA.
With the gigantic win against her idol, Eala, currently at No. 140, thus entered the elite Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Top 100 for the first time in her rising career.
“I don’t know what to say, I mean, complete disbelief right now and I am on cloud nine,” said the 19-year-old Eala in her on-court interview.
“It’s forever in my heart,” she added.
As a wildcard entry, an unseeded player in this 128-player field, Alex Eala’s Cinderella run reached the Miami Open Final Four, beating Top-25, Top-5, and Top-2 players, defeating 3 Grand Slam champions and not losing a single set.
Eala will now face the winner of the quarterfinal between former British No. 1 Emma Raducanu and world No. 4 Jessica Pegula of the USA in the semis.
In the other semifinal, it will be world No. 1 Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka against Italy's Jasmine Paolini.
Sabalenka battled back in the second set to blast her way into the semi-finals of the Miami Open with a 6-2, 7-5 win over China's Zheng Qinwen.
Meanwhile, Paolini moved into the semi-finals with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Poland's Magda Linette.
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