London, July 6 (IANS) Jasmine Paolini of Italy ended Alexandra Eala’s dream run at Wimbledon 2026 with a hard-fought 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 victory in the Ladies’ Singles fourth round on Monday, booking her place in the quarterfinals after surviving a spirited challenge from the trailblazing Filipino on a sweltering Centre Court.

The 13th seed, who had been uncertain to play at the All England Club due to a foot injury, defeated the first player from the Philippines to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam. The match highlighted Eala’s fearless shot-making and determination.

The 30-year-old Paolini got off to a quick start, jumping to a 4-1 lead in the opening set as she tried to take control of the game. However, Eala, the 21-year-old left-hander known for her lively personality and aggressive style of play throughout the tournament, gradually found her rhythm.

After her stunning upset of defending champion Iga Swiatek in the previous round, Eala found her footing and responded well in front of an excited Centre Court crowd. Back home, around 8,000 fans gathered at the PhilSports Arena in Manila to support their rising star as she levelled the match by winning the second set 6-4.

With Paolini’s unforced errors increasing, Eala seized the momentum and threatened to pull off another remarkable upset. The match was evenly balanced as they headed into the final set, but the experienced Italian regained her focus at the critical moment. Paolini secured the key break of serve to lead 5-3 before finishing off the victory when Eala sent a return wide.

This win sends last year’s Wimbledon runner-up into another quarterfinal at the All England Club, while Eala exits after a historic run that made her the first Filipino player to reach the second week of a Grand Slam and established her as one of the sport’s brightest young talents.

In the quarterfinals, Paolini will run into Marta Kostyuk, who advanced to the last-eight stage with a straight-sets victory over Ashlyn Krueger.

Twelfth seed Kostyuk beat American Krueger 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 23 minutes, in a much-needed, efficient victory, after tough three-set battles in the previous two rounds.

–IANS

hs/bsk/