FILIPINO tennis star Alexandra Eala dethroned defending champion and No. 7 seed Leylah Fernandez, 6-2, 7-6 (1), on Thursday, July 30, 2026 (PH time), to advance to the quarterfinals of the WTA 500 Mubadala DC Open in Washington, D.C., USA.
The win avenged Eala’s 1-6, 4-6 loss to the Canadian in the first round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix on clay in Stuttgart, Germany, last April 14.
“I know that she was playing a little better, and maybe my level dropped a little bit,” said the 21-year-old Eala of her second-set comeback during the post-match interview.
“Those are very tricky moments, when you know your level has dropped and you want to do better, but things for one reason or another just aren’t coming out. I think patience was key there, just trying to work it out, and a strong mentality in terms of trying to find solutions,” added Eala, who also dethroned Iga Swiatek in the third round of Wimbledon four weeks ago.
Unlike her opening-round win over Zheng Qinwen, Eala faced a different challenge against Fernandez in a contest that relied more on baseline precision than
overpowering serves.
Both players are known for their strong groundstrokes, but Eala’s dependable two-handed backhand gave the Filipina the edge in extended rallies.
Eala asserted herself early, breaking Fernandez’s serve in the second game before maintaining control of the opening set. While the 2025 Canadian Masters champion gradually found her rhythm on serve, she was unable to put pressure on Eala.
Fernandez struggled to close out the set, dropping serve again as Eala cruised to a 6-2 victory.
The momentum shifted dramatically at the start of the second set as Fernandez broke Eala’s serve and dictated play to build a commanding 5-1 lead. Eala also appeared to be dealing with physical fatigue, raising the prospect of a deciding third set.
Instead, the Filipina mounted a remarkable comeback. Eala won five consecutive games with aggressive court coverage and deep, accurate groundstrokes that repeatedly pushed Fernandez into the corners, taking a 6-5 lead before the Canadian held serve to force a tiebreak.
Eala then dominated the breaker, racing to a 7-1 victory to complete the straight-set win and book her place in the quarterfinals, once again displaying the resilience that has become a hallmark of her breakthrough season.
Eala will next face the winner between Ukrainian second seed Elina Svitolina and Uzbek qualifier Polina Kudermetova.
Svitolina had a first-round bye, while Kudermetova rallied past Spanish Cristina Busca, 5-7, 7-6 (4), 6-0.
Meanwhile, 2022 champion Liudmila Samsonova marched into the quarters after beating Wang Xinyu 6-2, 6-2.
The tournament offers a total prize purse of US$1,637,982.
The singles breakdown for ranking points and prize money is as follows: First round - 1 point, $17,440; Second round - 60 points, $24,474; Quarterfinals - 108, $47,750; Semifinals - 195, $90,900; Runner-up - 325, $155,000; Champion - 500 points, $252,000.
In doubles, first-round finishers will receive one point and $9,210; quarterfinalists - 108 points, $15,140; semifinalists - 195, $29,490; runners-up - 325, $50,790; and champions - 500 points and $83,500. / PNA
