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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Eala overcomes Joint's strong start, books historic Wimbledon third round

Eala overcomes Joint's strong start, books historic Wimbledon third round

Published Jul 2, 2026 10:17 pm

At A Glance

  • The 29th-seeded Eala shook off a first-set stumble before mounting a gritty comeback to outlast the hard-hitting Australian, becoming the first Filipino to reach a singles Grand Slam third round in the Open era.
Alexandra Eala of the Philippines returns the ball during the second round women's singles match against Maya Joint of Australia at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Thursday, July 2, 2026.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Alexandra Eala of the Philippines returns the ball during the second round women's singles match against Maya Joint of Australia at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Thursday, July 2, 2026.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Alex Eala weathered Maya Joint’s strong start with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 victory to punch a historic ticket to the third round of the Wimbledon Championships on Thursday, July 2.
The 29th-seeded Eala shook off a first-set stumble before mounting a gritty comeback to outlast the hard-hitting Australian, becoming the first Filipino to reach a singles Grand Slam third round in the Open era.
The breakthrough marked Eala’s best Grand Slam performance yet, eclipsing her previous career-best second-round finish at the US Open last year.
It also arranged another thrilling showdown with familiar opponent and defending champion Iga Swiatek, who earlier dispatched former world No. 1 and 2021 runner-up Karolina Pliskova, 6-1, 6-3.
She was humble in victory.
"I really had to dig deep, especially in the first set," Eala admitted during the on-court interview moments after her win. "Maya came out on fire. She came out ready. I was expecting a really good match."
"We've competed in some very good conditions before, so I was prepared for a good match. She's coming off an amazing win," she added.
The triumph, likewise, gave Eala sweet revenge for her heartbreaking three-set loss to Joint in last year's Eastbourne Open final.
After getting broken twice to drop the opening set, Eala wrested control with aggressive shot-making in the second frame, refusing to let Joint dictate the pace the rest of the way.
She reeled off three straight games to build a 3-1 advantage, seizing the momentum and forcing a deciding set.
The Filipina dug deep in the third set, overcoming a series of marathon deuce games to open a 3-0 cushion and seize full control of the match.

Related Tags

Alex Eala Wimbledon Maya Joint Iga Swiatek
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