Alex Eala stuns World No. 5 Keys to reach Miami Open quarterfinals

Filipina tennis player Alex Eala, ranked World No. 140, stunned world No. 5 Madison Keys in the third round of the Miami Open with a 6-4, 6-2 victory.

She advanced to the quarterfinals after her scheduled opponent, 10th seed and world No. 11 Paula Badosa of Spain, withdrew from their match due to a lower back injury.

Eala will now face World No. 2 Iga Swiatek of Poland in the quarterfinals, a match that has been four years in the making.

Their paths first crossed in 2021 when Swiatek helped the then 15-year-old Eala prepare for her first WTA main draw appearance.

Two years later, Swiatek inspired Eala when she served as guest speaker during her graduation at the Rafael Nadal Tennis Academy.

This marks Eala's first career win against a top-10 opponent and her first WTA1000 quarterfinal appearance.

Eala hopes to continue her unprecedented run when she battles Swiatek, a three-time Grand Slam champion.

Eala is guaranteed her biggest purse ever of $189,075 (about P10.8 million) for reaching the quarterfinals.