Eala rolls to another Top 10 win; Noskova rematch awaits in Berlin semifinals

When Alexandra Eala earns a Top 10 win, another often follows in short order. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that one day after upsetting Elena Rybakina, the 21-year-old collected another, defeating World No. 8 Elina Svitolina 6-3, 6-4 in 1 hour and 23 minutes to reach the Berlin semifinals for the first time.

Berlin: Scores | Order of play | Draws

The victory is the sixth Top 10 win of her career and sends her into her second grass-court semifinal. After failing to serve out the match on her first attempt, she steadied herself and held off a late push from Svitolina to secure her spot in the last four.

“Elina is a huge fighter, and I’ve seen it many times,” Eala said in her on-court interview. “I’ve been watching her since I was a kid, so to be able to compete with her today is such an honor, and I really admire her. She’s a mother, and I find her to act with such elegance and strength, and I’m really lucky to have had this match today.”

Next up is a second WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz meeting with Linda Noskova, who defeated Paula Badosa 6-1, 6-3 in 68 minutes earlier Friday to reach her second grass-court semifinal. It will be a rematch of their recent Indian Wells encounter, where Noskova dropped just two games.

More to come…