<\/p>\n
Alexandra Eala of the Philippines celebrates winning the second round women\u2019s singles match against Maya Joint of Australia on the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Thursday, July 2, 2026.(AP Photo\/Kin Cheung)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The journey continues for Alex Eala\u2014and it’s going to undergo a well-known foe on an unfamiliar surface hosting their duel.<\/p>\n
The 21-year-old Filipino star heads into Wimbledon\u2019s third round, where she’s going to meet defending champion Iga Swiatek, hoping so as to add more days to what has already been a historic stretch for Eala at All-England Club.<\/p>\n
The favored left-hander surrendered just two games in the ultimate two sets and took down Maya Joint, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0, late Thursday evening (Manila time) within the second round of the grass court Grand Slam.<\/p>\n
But things are about to get harder for Eala, already making history as the primary seeded female player from the Philippines to win two games at Wimbledon.<\/p>\n
Eala and Swiatek have met twice up to now, with each splitting those matches.<\/p>\n
Eala stunned Swiatek on the hardcourts of the Miami Open last yr, one in every of the massive upsets the Filipino carved within the tournament to trigger her rise to tennis superstardom.<\/p>\n
Swiatek got payback a month afterward clay on the Madrid Open, rallying from a set right down to beat Eala within the second round.<\/p>\n
Their third-round duel on Saturday (Manila time) at Wimbledon shall be their first on grass.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic produced a Wimbledon masterclass because the history-chasing star raced into the third round on Wednesday, while defending champion Jannik Sinner battled through before French Open champion Mirra Andreeva suffered a shock exit.<\/p>\n
Djokovic demolished Stefanos Tsitsipas in a 98-minute rout that served as an announcement of intent to Sinner and the remaining of his Wimbledon title rivals.<\/p>\n
The seven-time Wimbledon champion won, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, hitting 33 winners and making just seven unforced errors.<\/p>\n
Djokovic\u2019s latest try and make history by winning a record twenty fifth Grand Slam singles title got off to a rocky start as he laboured against unheralded Wu Yibing in the primary round on Monday.<\/p>\n
He plays French twenty fifth seed Arthur Rinderknech within the last 32.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m feeling great. I just like the terminology \u2018vintage\u2019, it brings back the perfect days and you are feeling very satisfied and joyful on the court whenever you\u2019re playing this manner,\u201d said Djokovic after being asked if it was a vintage performance.<\/p>\n
Bidding to change into the oldest man to win a serious title within the Open era, Djokovic\u2014who won probably the most recent of his Wimbledon crowns in 2022\u2014has increasingly looked his age over the past two Grand Slams.<\/p>\n
The 39-year-old Serb crashed out within the French Open third round, blowing a two-set lead against Joao Fonseca.<\/p>\n
But Djokovic underlined his enduring class along with his latest win against Greek world No. 87 Tsitsipas, who has now lost their last 12 meetings.<\/p>\n
Djokovic\u2019s 104th match win at Wimbledon leaves him only one behind Roger Federer\u2019s Open era record in the lads\u2019s singles.<\/p>\n
Sinner wasn\u2019t at his best again, however the world primary did simply enough to beat Portugual\u2019s Nuno Borges, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2), 6-4.<\/p>\n
The 24-year-old Italian had narrowly avoided an embarrassing first-round exit when he fought back from two sets to at least one right down to beat Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic on Monday.<\/p>\n
The four-time Grand Slam champion ended Carlos Alcaraz\u2019s two-year reign as Wimbledon champion with a superb final victory over the Spaniard last yr.<\/p>\n
Andreeva arrived on the All England Club hailed as one in every of the game\u2019s rising stars after winning her maiden Grand Slam crown in Paris in June.<\/p>\n
However the Russian teenager was unable to keep up the momentum from Roland Garros as Barbora Krejcikova recaptured the magic that inspired her unexpected Wimbledon title triumph two years ago.<\/p>\n
The 30-year-old Czech, who also won the French Open in 2021, fought back for a dramatic 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 victory.\u2014REPORTS FROM INQUIRER SPORTS DESK AND AFP<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Alexandra Eala of the Philippines celebrates winning the second round women\u2019s singles match against Maya Joint of Australia on the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Thursday, July 2, 2026.(AP Photo\/Kin Cheung) The journey continues for Alex Eala\u2014and it’s going to undergo a well-known foe on an unfamiliar surface hosting their duel. The 21-year-old Filipino star […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":360202,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[338],"tags":[1568,11666,1569,36730,11709,2875,446],"class_list":["post-360201","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","tag-alex","tag-crosses","tag-eala","tag-grass","tag-paths","tag-swiatek","tag-time"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t