Eala's win at US Open is special

20-YEAR-OLD BECOMES FIRST WOMAN FROM PHILIPPINES TO WIN A GRAND SLAM MATCH

- BY JAI PRASAD V. RAI Assistant Editor

It was more than just a victory for Alexandra Eala at the US Open on Sunday — it was a historic milestone. The 20-year-old pulled off a thrilling upset against 14th seed Clara Tauson, rallying from 1-5 down in the third set to win 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13-11). With the win, Eala became the first Filipino woman to win a main draw match at a Grand Slam tournament.

Eala, currently ranked No 75 and training at the Rafael Nadal Academy, notched her fourth victory over a top-20 opponent this year. That list includes a high-profile win over world No 1 Iga Swiatek during her remarkable run to the semifinals at the Miami Open in March.

"To be Filipino is something I take so much pride in," said Eala after the match. "I don't have a home tournament, so having this community behind me here at the US Open it really made me feel like I was home."