Sensational! Alex Eala defeats the world No. 2, Elena Rybakina!

Thursday at the VANDA Pharmaceuticals BERLIN TENNIS OPEN delivered six exciting matches, each providing its own standout moment. Particular attention was drawn to the round-of-16 matches featuring the last remaining German player, Eva Lys, and the Berlin debut of world No. 2 Elena Rybakina from Kazakhstan. Eva Lys was defeated by Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina 3-6, 2-6. The biggest upset of the WTA 500 event came from Alex Eala, who produced a sensational performance to defeat world No. 2 and top seed Elena Rybakina 7-5, 6-4, marking a breakthrough win for the young Filipino player.

Czech talent advances after beating strong French opponent

The first match on Centre Court at the Steffi Graf Stadion belonged to Linda Nosková (CZE), who defeated Diane Parry (FRA). The 21-year-old Czech is currently making waves on the WTA Tour and was aiming for her first quarterfinal appearance in Berlin. Parry, on the other hand, had just caused a sensation at the French Open when she knocked top-10 player Amanda Anisimova out of the tournament. In Berlin, Diane Parry had little to offer against the strong Czech player. Nosková showed no weaknesses and won convincingly 6-2, 6-2 in 67 minutes.

Eva Lys had no chance against Elina Svitolina, losing 3-6, 2-6

The match between Elina Svitolina (UKR) and Hamburg’s Eva Lys lasted just two minutes longer. Svitolina, currently ranked No. 8 in the world, is one of the most experienced players on the tour and is playing exceptionally well on grass right now. Eva Lys, entering the tournament as a wild card, had high expectations for her second match in front of a home crowd. However, in the sweltering heat, she fell 3-6, 2-6 to Elina Svitolina, who proved to be in superior form on the day.  In a post-match interview, Lys said: “I’ve won more games against her than I did in Stuttgart in April. Today my footwork just wasn’t good—I’m still a bit short on fitness. I was often a little bit too slow.” She added that she would try to “… spend a lot of time on grass over the next few days.” Next week, she will compete in Bad Homburg, and from there she will head to Wimbledon.

All-American Battle: Keys Meets Pegula in the Quarterfinals

In a close match between Madison Keys (USA), the 2025 Australian Open champion, and Karolina Muchova (CZE), the American came out on top after a closely contested second set. After 1 hour and 28 minutes, Keys defeated her opponent in two sets, 6-4, 7-5, and will face Jessica Pegula in the quarterfinals on Friday. The 2024 Berlin champion and Keys’ fellow American delivered a strong performance in her round-of-16 match on Wednesday, defeating Czech player Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 6-4.

Huge Upset: Eala Knocks Out Favorite Rybakina

At the end of a long, sunny day filled with world-class tennis, rising star and wild-card entrant Alexandra Eala of the Philippines faced off against world No. 2 Elena Rybakina (KAZ). The former Wimbledon and Australian Open champion was considered one of the favorites here in Berlin and remains so for the season’s highlight at Wimbledon. The first set could hardly have been more thrilling. Eala had trailed 1–4, fought her way back to 4–4, conceded only one more game to Rybakina, and then took the set 7–5. The trend continued in the second set, as Rybakina lost both her second and third service games and quickly found herself down 1–3. In the end, Eala converted her second match point to win 6–4, celebrating what is likely the biggest victory of her career so far. In the quarterfinals, Eala will next face Svitolina, who defeated Lys. Starting today, the Berlin crowd may have found a new favorite in Alexandra Eala.

No Comeback This Time: Gauff and Pegula Fall in Match Tiebreak

Asia Muhammad (USA) and Fanny Stollar (HUN) moved on to the next round after beating American pair Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula in a hard-fought match. The experienced doubles team took charge early but had to fend off a comeback from the American duo. They ultimately secured their win in a deciding 10 points match tiebreak. For crowd favourites Gauff and Pegula, this match was another opportunity to play together as one of the tour's most well-known doubles teams. Although they managed to force a deciding set after losing the first, the Americans could not finish the comeback. Muhammad and Stollar made the most of their doubles experience during crucial moments.

Alexandrova and Noskova Cruise Past Kichenok and Krawczyk to Reach Semi Finals

Ekaterina Alexandrova and Linda Noskova (CZE) delivered a commanding performance to defeat Lyudmyla Kichenok (UKR) and Desirae Krawczyk (USA) 6-3, 6-3 in the doubles competition.

Kichenok and Krawczyk, both accomplished doubles specialists and former Grand Slam champions, had entered the match with strong momentum following a straight-sets win over Detiuc and Khromacheva in the previous round.

However, Alexandrova and Noskova proved too solid today, building on their earlier victory against Ellen Perez and Demi Schuurs. With this win, Alexandrova and Noskova move confidently into the next round of the tournament.