MANILA, Philippines — Filipino tennis star Alex Eala saw her remarkable Cinderella run at the Wimbledon Championships come to an end after bowing to world No. 17 Jasmine Paolini, 4-6, 6-4, 3-6, in the fourth round on Monday in London.
The match was tightly contested from the opening set, with Eala committing several unforced errors that allowed the Italian to seize the early advantage.
The 21-year-old Filipina quickly regrouped in the second set, producing a composed and aggressive performance to halt Paolini’s momentum and level the match at one set apiece.
The deciding third set remained neck-and-neck, with the score tied at 3-3 before Paolini took control by winning the final three games to book her place in the quarterfinals.
Despite the loss, Eala walked away with a career-best Wimbledon performance and prize money worth €300,000 (around P24 million) for reaching the fourth round.
Eala also expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the thousands of Filipino supporters who turned every one of her matches into a home-court atmosphere.
Filipino fans packed the stands throughout the Grand Slam, whether she played on Centre Court or one of the outside courts, providing unwavering support that fueled her memorable campaign.
