JAKARTA - Young Filipino tennis player Alexandra Eala created a big surprise at the 2026 Berlin Open tournament by defeating world number two Elena Rybakina in a straight two-set match.
Eala was extraordinary in turning things around after falling behind in the first set and sealing the victory 7-5 and 6-4 in one hour 32 minutes on Thursday, June 18, 2026, local time.
It was the fifth win in his career over a player in the top 10 of the world rankings. All five of Eala's victories over top 10 players were also achieved through straight sets, including four wins against top five players.
In addition, the result brought Eala to the quarterfinals in her first appearance at the tournament.
"I still can't believe what happened. I'm still shaking, even when I was at the match point. I'm very happy with today's result. This match could have ended differently because there were tight moments in both sets," said Eala, quoted by the WTA website.
The meeting in Berlin was the second duel between Eala and Rybakina on the WTA Tour. With this victory, their record of meetings is now tied 1-1.
Eala's victory over Rybakina was achieved thanks to a combination of smart play, courage to take risks, and calmness in important moments.
The 21-year-old had trouble facing Rybakina's aggressive start who immediately dominated the match from the start.
Rybakina opened the match very strongly, recording three aces in the first game and immediately leading 4-1 thanks to her hard serve and aggressive play. However, Eala slowly began to find her rhythm and was able to change the course of the match.
"I think my serve helped me get some easy points. I also tried to return the ball well. He scored a lot of aces early in the match. So, for me the most important thing is to keep the ball in the game," said Eala.
The strategy worked. Eala started to put pressure on Rybakina with the consistency of the game and forced her opponent to make more mistakes. He got the first break after a backhand shot down the line to make the score 4-3, then tied the score 4-4 through his strong serve.
Eala's momentum grew even bigger when Rybakina's forehand error made her get a break to take a 6-5 lead. Although Rybakina managed to save one set point, the 23rd mistake from the Kazakstan player finally gave Eala the first set.
In the second set, Eala continued to be brave. He stole Rybakina's service to take a 2-1 lead and was able to maintain the pressure even though his opponent had saved three break opportunities. One of his best shots came when he unleashed a cross-court forehand winner to keep the lead 5-3.
At the end of the match, Eala remained calm even though Rybakina tried to rise. After saving pressure at 15-30, Eala unleashed his fourth ace before closing the match through Rybakina's last mistake.
The victory continued Eala's positive trend on the grass in the 2026 season. After winning the biggest title of his career at the WTA 125 Birmingham, Eala now has a record of eight wins and one loss on the grass this year.
In the quarterfinal round, Eala will face sixth seed Elina Svitolina in their first meeting. Svitolina reached the last eight by defeating German Eva Lys.
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