Alexandra Eala`s remarkable journey at the Miami Open continues as she progresses to the quarterfinals.
The young player from the Philippines secured her first Hologic WTA Tour quarterfinal appearance on Monday without playing her fourth-round match. This was due to No. 10 seed Paula Badosa`s withdrawal because of a lower back injury.
Eala and Badosa were set to compete after both had impressive third-round victories on Sunday. World No. 140 Eala defeated No. 5 seed and Australian Open champion Madison Keys, marking a historic achievement for a Filipino player in the Open Era. Badosa had a challenging win against Clara Tauson, No. 20 seed and Dubai finalist, with a score of 6-3, 7-6(3), needing a medical timeout during her match.
19-year-old Eala, the 2022 junior US Open champion, had not previously won three consecutive matches at the tour level before this tournament. However, the walkover from Badosa will not be officially counted as a win in her record.
In her sixth WTA 1000 event, Eala is now preparing to face the winner of the match between No. 2 seed and former champion Iga Swiatek and No. 23 seed Elina Svitolina for a chance to reach the semifinals.
