LONDON: Alexandra Eala became the first player from the Philippines to reach the third round of a Grand Slam in the Open era, beating Maya Joint in an “electric” atmosphere at Wimbledon on Thursday.
The 21-year-old fought back to defeat Serena Williams’ first-round conqueror Joint 3-6, 6-2, 6-0, roared on by hundreds of Filipino spectators on Court Three.
“It’s obviously an amazing thing for me to do that for my country,” she said after booking a last-32 tie with reigning Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek.
“I really appreciate that I’m able to share this with the nation, but I think first and foremost it makes me super proud because of the work that I’ve put in.”
There was an unmistakably Filipino feel to the small arena on Thursday, and not just provided by her legion of enthusiastic fans waving the Southeast Asian archipelago nation’s flag.
