Alexandra Eala did it again. Down 1-5 in the second set against defending Mubadala DC Open champion Leylah Fernandez, the 21-year-old Filipina reeled off five straight games to force a tiebreak, then closed it out 6-2, 7-6(1) to reach the quarterfinals in Washington on Wednesday.
It's the second straight tournament Eala has knocked out a defending champion — she, notably, beat Iga Świątek at Wimbledon last month — and the second straight match in Washington she's needed a comeback to win, after also rallying from a set down against Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in the first round.
Asked what changed after falling behind in the second set, Eala didn't point to anything specific Fernandez did. "I think for a couple of games maybe my intensity dropped a little bit... and Leylah stepped up," she said. "I just tried my best to stick it out and wait for my opportunities and kind of try to continuously find solutions."
"I'm ready to make this set longer," she said to herself, "but if I wasn't able to do that, I would be ready for a third." That wasn't needed.
Eala, who is up to No. 28 in the world, said wins like this one still carry weight regardless of the round. "It means a lot. I think every win at this level is very meaningful for me, because end of the day, I'm playing the top of the top."
Her shirt Wednesday read "Kapag lumago, hindi na hihinto" — a phrase she came up with alongside Nike that translates to "Once it grows, it cannot be stopped," which she also wore on her visor at Wimbledon, where she became the first Filipina to reach the second week of a major in the open era.
Eala will next face either No. 2 seed Elina Svitolina or Polina Kudermetova for a spot in the semifinals.
Venus, Out
Venus Williams' week in Washington ended in doubles, as she and partner Diana Shnaider fell 6-4, 6-2 to China's Qianhui Tang and Yifan Xu in the quarterfinals. The pairing came together last-minute after Williams' original doubles plans with Eala fell through when Eala opted to focus on singles.
Williams, a seven-time major champion, isn't done for the summer. She's headed to Toronto next on a wild card into the National Bank Open, marking her 13th appearance at the Canadian event and her return to hard-court singles. "I did a lot of great things here this week," she said, "so looking forward to playing more matches and just honing everything."
Beyond that, the US Open looms — and with it, the possibility of a doubles reunion with sister Serena, with whom Venus has won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles.
Aussie Buddies Match
Alex de Minaur beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 on Wednesday, snapping a rough personal streak against the Greek — Tsitsipas had won 12 of their previous 13 meetings — to set up an all-Australian Round of 16 match Thursday afternoon between the top-seeded de Minaur and 17-year-old Cruz Hewitt.
Hewitt won his first-ever ATP Tour match earlier this week, and few players on tour are better positioned to talk about him than the 27-year-old de Minaur. "I've seen Cruz grow up for the last ten years. I've seen him become the man that he is right now. I've hit with him countless of times," De Minaur said. The two even trained together in Washington before the tournament started. "It's going to be a pretty cool feeling I think to be able to play him," he said. "I'm excited for it. It's going to be a lot of fun."
De Minaur described Hewitt's game as sharing little with that of his Hall of Fame father, Lleyton Hewitt. "Cruz is a very talented ball striker. He has big shots from both sides, both forehand and backhand. Looks to dictate a lot. Has a very good serve for his age," he said. "It's a funny kind of contrast to how the dad used to play, right? That's always kind of an inside joke that they play quite differently."
He also spoke on what growing up as Lleyton Hewitt's son has meant for the teenager. "It's definitely not easy being an ex-No. 1 in the world's son," De Minaur said. "What he's done an incredible job of is maturing and really getting a good head on his shoulders and coming into his own, becoming his own player... I think he's a great kid."
De Minaur is playing his first tournament since marrying WTA player Katie Boulter — a stretch that included 13 days without picking up a racket. "The body felt about 60 years old," he joked of his return to the practice court. The newlyweds have also entered US Open mixed doubles together, though De Minaur said their ranking likely won't be enough to get them in outright and they'll need a wild card. "We're hoping that... we can play as a married couple."