LONDON (AP) 鈥� Alexandra Eala didn’t have the option of playing on grass courts growing up in the Philippines.
Instead, she used one that also doubled as a basketball court.
鈥淭here would be the basketball hoops, so I couldn鈥檛 really step back a lot because then I would hit the basketball hoop,鈥� Eala said.
The 21-year-old Eala found Centre Court at a bit more accommodating Saturday when she beat defending champion Iga Swiatek 7-6 (9), 6-2 in the third round at the grass-court major and made some history in the process.
Eala is the first Filipino player, male or female, to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam singles tournament.
The left-handed Eala dropped to her knees and rolled onto her back after hitting a forehand winner on her third match point.
鈥淚t鈥檚 incredible to have my countrymen cheering me on and knowing that we鈥檙e all in this together,鈥� she said in an on-court interview as she looked around at the Philippines flags.
鈥淭his goes out to them, this goes out to my family, this goes out to all the little girls with ruffled socks and chubby cheeks. It means the world,鈥� said the 29th-seeded Eala, who saved two set points in the first-set tiebreaker.
The third-seeded Swiatek earned her first Wimbledon women鈥檚 title a year ago when she in the final.
鈥淚 felt like Alexandra was more brave in important moments,鈥� Swiatek said Saturday. 鈥淚n the tiebreak we both had many chances to close the set earlier, and it didn鈥檛 go my way.鈥�
Eala, who has trained in Mallorca at the Rafael Nadal Tennis Academy, gained worldwide support last year on her breakthrough run to the , which included an upset of Swiatek.
She next faces 13th-seeded Jasmine Paolini for a spot in the Wimbledon quarterfinals.
2022 champion Rybakina also out
Shortly before Swiatek’s exit, Elena Rybakina was upset in the third round by Elise Mertens 7-6 (4), 6-1.
At No. 2, Rybakina is the highest seed on the women鈥檚 side to be eliminated. Her loss ensures that Aryna Sabalenka 鈥� who faces Naomi Osaka in the fourth round on Sunday 鈥� will keep her No. 1 ranking after the tournament.
Belgium鈥檚 Mertens is the No. 25 seed at Wimbledon, where she鈥檚 won two doubles titles. She will next face 21st-seeded Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic.
Keys, Fritz shine on 4th of July
In another upset, Madison Keys rallied to oust the sixth-seeded Anisimova 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 in an all-American contest on the of U.S. independence.
The 26th-seeded Keys, the 2025 Australian Open champion, was asked how she’ll celebrate the U.S. holiday.
鈥淚 have no plans,鈥� she told the Centre Court crowd after her victory. 鈥淲hen you’re not in the States, it’s just kind of another day.鈥�
Keys will next play ninth-seeded Linda Noskova.
Ashlyn Krueger, another American, has come through qualifying to reach the fourth round. She beat Ukraine’s Daria Snigur 6-3, 6-2 and will face another Ukrainian 鈥� 12th-seeded Marta Kostyuk 鈥� for a spot in the quarterfinals.
The only American man to reach the last 16 is Taylor Fritz, who beat Lorenzo Sonego 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (5) on No. 2 Court. The sixth-seeded Fritz next faces Alexander Bublik, who beat American Frances Tiafoe in five sets.
Grigor Dimitrov outlasted Matteo Berrettini in another five-setter to set up a fourth-round match against fellow 鈥� the last British player left in either men’s or women’s singles.
, the No. 2 seed, got past American Marcos Giron 6-2, 7-6 (4), 6-4 to set up a fourth-round match against 13th-seeded Jiri Lehecka.
Ninth-seeded Flavio Cobolli 鈥� the runner-up at Roland Garros 鈥� overcame a slow start against Karen Khachanov to win 0-6, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-2 and will face No. 5 seed Alex de Minaur in the fourth round.
Cobolli said he felt ill during the first set because he ate 鈥渁 little bit too close from the match. Just wasn鈥檛 fine. I try to vomit in the first set. They give me some pills that helped me a lot.鈥�
Serena and Venus withdraw from doubles
withdrew from her doubles match with sister Venus due to a right knee injury. The 44-year-old Serena was injured during her singles return earlier this week.
The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion said in an Instagram post that she was 鈥渉eartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles.鈥�
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