Alexandra Eala`s impressive run at the Miami Open will extend into the quarterfinals.
The young player from the Philippines progressed to her first Hologic WTA Tour quarterfinal without playing her scheduled match on Monday. This was due to No. 10 seed Paula Badosa`s withdrawal from their fourth-round encounter because of a lower back injury.
Eala, a wild card entrant, and Badosa were set to compete after both players achieved significant victories in the third round on Sunday. World No. 140 Eala defeated No. 5 seed and Australian Open champion Madison Keys, marking a historic achievement for a player from the Philippines in the Open Era. Badosa, seeded No. 20, secured a hard-fought 6-3, 7-6(3) victory against Dubai finalist Clara Tauson, despite requiring a medical timeout earlier in the match.
19-year-old Eala, the 2022 junior US Open champion, had not previously achieved three consecutive wins at any tour-level event before this tournament. It`s worth noting that the walkover from Badosa does not count towards her official win-loss record.
In her sixth WTA 1000 event, Eala is now set to face the winner of the Monday night match between No. 2 seed and former champion Iga Swiatek or No. 23 seed Elina Svitolina for a chance to reach the semifinals.
