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Wildcard Eala shocks Rybakina in Berlin / Photo: Filippo MONTEFORTE - AFP
Wildcard Eala shocks Rybakina in Berlin
World number two Elena Rybakina crashed out of the Wimbledon warm-up WTA tournament in Berlin on Thursday losing 7-5, 6-4 to Filipino wildcard Alexandra Eala.
"I'm a little foggy now. I'm still shaking. I was shaking on the match point," said an emotional Eala after booking her ticket to the quarter-finals of the grass-court tournament.
"She's an amazing player ... she's the one to beat. I'm happy to have been able to share the court with her again," added the 21-year-old Eala who lost to Rybakina on clay at the Italian Open in May.
Rybakina -- the 2022 Wimbledon champion and reigning Australian Open winner -- had burst out of the blocks to take a 4-1 lead but Eala fought back, breaking the Kazakh's usually strong serve twice to take the opening set.
World number 35 Eala stayed in control during the second, breaking her heavily favoured opponent once to storm to an upset victory.
Eala, the first Filipino player to break into the top 50, is in fine form, having beaten newly minted Queen's Club champion Donna Vekic in the opening match in Berlin.
Eala will face world number eight Elina Svitolina, who beat German Eva Lys in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 earlier on Thursday, in the quarter-finals.
In the other quarter-finals, world number one Aryna Sabalenka takes on Nikola Bartunkova, world number four Jessica Pegula faces Madison Keys and Linda Noskova is up against Paula Badosa.
M.Lombardi--INP
