Alex Eala takes on world No. 8 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine in the Berlin Open quarterfinals on Friday, after a breakthrough upset over world No. 2 Elena Rybakina. The match is set for no earlier than 11:30 p.m. Manila time.
Alex Eala didn’t just survive the Berlin Open draw—she bulldozed through it.
On Friday, the Manila native gets another night match test when she takes on world No. 8 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine in the quarterfinals. Their match is scheduled for no earlier than 11:30 p.m. Manila time.
Eala has momentum for a reason. In the Round of 16, she pulled off a massive upset of world No. 2 Elena Rybakina, winning 7-5, 6-4. It’s the kind of result that changes how a player is viewed in the draw—especially when the next opponent carries the weight of top-tier consistency.
Svitolina is not arriving quietly, either. The 31-year-old has 20 singles titles to her name. She recently won the Italian Open and reached the quarterfinals of the French Open. She also beat Eva Lys to book her spot in the Berlin quarterfinals.
Their history adds heat to the setup. The last time Eala and Svitolina shared the court was in doubles at the ASB Classic, where Eala and partner Iva Jovic defeated Svitolina and Venus Williams in the Round of 16.
Eala, meanwhile, is pushing to keep the momentum going against the kind of opponents that usually define a season. After adding Rybakina to her list of victories over WTA top-10 players, she now faces a chance to extend that run again.
The quarterfinal lineup is already taking shape beyond Eala and Svitolina. Joining them are Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, Linda Noskova, Aryna Sabalenka and Nikola Bartunkova.
Alex Eala Elina Svitolina Berlin Open quarterfinals Elena Rybakina WTA Manila time Jessica Pegula Madison Keys Aryna Sabalenka Linda Noskova Nikola Bartunkova Eva Lys
So it’s 11:30 p.m. Manila time… but what time is that like here? I’m confused already.
Eala beat Rybakina and now Svitolina? That’s wild, but I swear these draws are always cooked lol. I just hope Eala doesn’t choke.
Wait they played doubles with Venus Williams too? So this is basically like a rematch then? Also Svitolina is number 8 now but she was older already right, like 40? Idk stats are weird.
Svitolina won Italian Open and French quarterfinals but they still say she “isn’t arriving quietly” like she’s gonna lose. I don’t get it. Berlin Open always has late matches too, so people miss it. Rybakina being world No. 2 got upset though, so maybe Eala’s actually legit now.