MIAMI: Philippine wild card Alexandra Eala delivered a major shock at the Miami Open on Sunday, defeating Australian Open champion and fifth seed Madison Keys 6-4, 6-2 in the third round. The 19-year-old, who has been training at Rafael Nadal’s academy since she was 13, continued her impressive run after previously ousting 2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko.
“I am just in disbelief,” Eala told Tennis Channel. “I knew I could win from the start, but the chances were low given that she is a great player. My belief and trust in myself pushed me through.”
Despite requiring a medical timeout for a leg issue, Eala showed remarkable resilience and dominated from the baseline to claim the biggest win of her career. She has yet to drop a set in Miami and will next face Spanish 10th seed Paula Badosa.
Meanwhile, world No. 1 Novak Djokovic achieved a historic milestone by securing his 411th ATP Masters 1000 match win, setting a new record in the category.
