Paolini ends Eala’s dream run with fourth-round victory

LONDON: Italy’s Jasmine Paolini ended Alexandra Eala’s trailblazing Wimbledon run in the fourth round with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 victory on a baking hot Center Court on Monday.

The 21-year-old left-hander Eala is the first player from the Philippines to go so far in a Grand Slam and she pushed the 2024 runner-up hard throughout an absorbing contest.

Eala, seeded 29, has captivated Wimbledon crowds with her bubbly personality and the free-flowing game which accounted for defending champion Iga Swiatek on Saturday.

But it was the equally popular Paolini ‌who raised her ‌game at key moments to reach the quarterfinals for ‌the second time.

‘Grass is a weird surface,’ Paolini says

The 13th seed’s participation at Wimbledon was in doubt with a foot injury that has dogged her season and meant she played just one grass-court match in her Wimbledon buildup. Her tournament began with her losing the first set of her opener against Robin Montgomery 6-0, but since that shaky start, the 30-year-old has rediscovered her bounce.

“I came here without many matches in the last month and after the first set in the first round, it was like ‘okay I can ‌only get better, it can’t go worse’,” Paolini ‌said on court.

“I’m feeling better point by point and game by game. Grass is a ‌weird surface, sometimes you love it, sometimes you hate, but when you play ‌well and feel good, it’s the best surface.”

Paolini had some celebrity support, with compatriot Kimi Antonelli, the F1 championship leader, in the Royal Box alongside Roger Federer.

Eala cheered on in Manila

Eala has become the darling of Wimbledon though and was also being cheered on by 8,000 fans ‌at a PhilSports Arena watch party in Manila where her rise up the rankings has captured