Alex Eala beats world No. 2 Elena Rybakina to advance to Berlin Tennis Open quarterfinals

Alexandra "Alex" Eala pulled off a major upset, defeating world No. 2 Elena Rybakina, 7-5, 6-4, on Thursday in the Round of 16 of the Berlin Tennis Open.

The Filipina ace trailed 4-1 in the first set before winning three straight games to level the score. Rybakina then took another game to move within striking distance of the set, but Eala responded by claiming the next three games to secure the opener.

In the second set, Eala built an early 3-1 advantage before Rybakina cut the deficit with another game. However, Eala eventually pulled away for a 5-3 lead and moved within a game of victory. Rybakina managed to salvage one more game, but Eala ultimately closed out the match.

"I was shaking in the match point too," Eala said.

"But no, I'm really happy with today, of course. It could have gone either way. I think there were really tight moments in both sets. And of course, she's an amazing player. And yeah, she's the one to beat. So I'm happy to have been able to share the court with her again."

With the victory, Eala advances to the quarterfinals, where she will face Elina Svitolina.

HIGHLIGHTS | Eala vs Rybakina

Season recap

Grass-court swing

• HSBC Championships (WTA 500) — Round of 16
• Birmingham Open (WTA 125) — Champion

Clay-court swing

• French Open (Grand Slam) — Round of 128
• Italian Open (WTA 1000) — Round of 32
• Madrid Open (WTA 1000) — Round of 64
• Stuttgart Open (WTA 500) — Round of 32
• Linz Open (WTA 500) — Round of 16

Sunshine Swing

• Miami Open (WTA 1000) — Round of 16
• Indian Wells Open (WTA 1000) — Round of 16

Middle East Swing

• Dubai Tennis Championships (WTA 1000) — Quarterfinals
• Qatar Open (WTA 1000) — Round of 64
• Abu Dhabi Open (WTA 500) — Quarterfinals

Philippine Women’s Open (WTA 125) — Quarterfinals

Australian Swing

• Australian Open (Grand Slam) — Round of 128
• ASB Classic (WTA 250) — Semifinals

—JKC, GMA News