In a surprising turn of events at the Miami Open, young Alexandra Eala from the Philippines defeated seasoned player Madison Keys in their third-round match on Sunday. Despite Keys` significant advantage in experience and ranking, Eala, a wild card entrant, demonstrated remarkable skill and composure.
Eala started strong, taking an early lead in the first set, which set the tone for the match. Keys, a Grand Slam champion and a top-ranked player, was aiming for her 20th win of the season. However, Eala`s consistent baseline game and resilience proved too much for Keys. She maintained long rallies and capitalized on Keys` errors.
The match concluded with a score of 6-4, 6-2, propelling Eala into the Round of 16 at the Miami Open. Overjoyed by her victory, Eala celebrated with her team in the stands.
This victory is not entirely out of the blue for Eala, who has been making her mark in international tennis for several years. She previously won the 2022 US Open junior girls` title, defeating Mirra Andreeva, who is now a top player herself.
Eala`s past achievements also include junior Grand Slam doubles titles and a French Open junior semifinal appearance at age 15.
She has now become the first Filipino player in the Open Era to achieve a Top 10 victory since the introduction of the ranking system in 1975. Furthermore, Eala is the first player outside the Top 100 this season to reach the Round of 16 in a WTA 1000 tournament.
To highlight the magnitude of her achievement, Eala`s three main-draw wins at this Miami Open exceed the total wins of all Filipino players combined in this event throughout the Open Era.
Adding to the trivia, Eala is the fourth wild card entrant to defeat a Top 5 player at the Miami Open in recent history.
Despite receiving medical attention during the match for a leg issue, Eala maintained her focus and pressure. A crucial moment was Keys` double fault, which gave Eala a break point opportunity in the second set.
Ultimately, the statistics revealed the story of the match: Keys accumulated 51 unforced errors compared to 22 winners, while Eala played more cleanly with 13 winners and 21 unforced errors. Eala also successfully broke Keys` serve six times.
Keys, who had a strong winning record this year, acknowledged her subpar performance and praised Eala`s solid play, particularly her ability to return balls effectively.
Looking ahead, Eala is set to compete against Paula Badosa in the Round of 16 for a chance to reach the quarterfinals. Badosa, who won her previous match despite a back injury, could present a tough challenge.
Eala`s journey includes participating in the WTA Future Stars event and joining Rafael Nadal’s Academy at a young age. She credits her training at the academy for her development.
