Alexandra Eala grew up without access to proper grass courts in the Philippines and often practiced on a surface shared with a basketball court. The hoops limited her movement during rallies. On Saturday the 21-year-old left-hander defeated defending champion Iga Swiatek 7-6 6-2 in the third round at Wimbledon, becoming the first Filipino to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam singles event. Eala dropped to her knees after converting her third match point with a forehand winner. She credited support from fans waving Philippine flags and dedicated the win to her family and young players. Swiatek acknowledged that her opponent showed greater composure in key moments. Eala next meets 13th seed Jasmine Paolini. Earlier, 2022 champion Elena Rybakina lost to Elise Mertens 7-6 6-1, making her the highest-seeded woman eliminated so far. Mertens will face Marie Bouzkova next. Madison Keys rallied past Amanda Anisimova 3-6 6-2 6-3 on the Fourth of July and will play Linda Noskova. Ashlyn Krueger advanced to face Marta Kostyuk. Taylor Fritz defeated Lorenzo Sonego to reach the last 16 and next meets Alexander Bublik. Grigor Dimitrov and Alexander Zverev also progressed. Serena Williams withdrew from doubles with sister Venus because of a knee injury.
