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FWC: USA vs BEL live on SN ExtraPolished Paolini progresses, spoils Philippines parties
AP • July 7th, 2026 8:58 am
Jasmine Paolini celebrates reaching the last eight at Wimbledon after beating Alexandra Eala | Photo: AP
Jasmine Paolini has ended the dream Wimbledon run of Alexandra Eala and dashed the hopes of a nation.
In the last eight the Italian will play Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk, who beat American Ashlyn Krueger 6-4 6-4.
In Wednesday's other quarter-final Czech Linda Noskova, who beat Madison Keys 6-4 7-6 (7-2), will play Belgian Elise Mertens, 6-4 6-4 victor over Marie Bouzkova.
Eala's march to the fourth round, after her shock victory over defending champion Iga Swiatek and earlier defeat of Australia's Maya Joint, had captured the imagination of much of the 120 million population of the Philippines.
Sports arena hosted watch parties for thousands of supporters to cheer on the 21-year-old, who had broken new ground for her nation just by winning a match at the championships.
But the parties ultimately fell flat as it was 13th seed Paolini who triumphed 6-4 4-6 6-3.
Alexandra Eala makes a heart gesture to Wimbledon fans following her defeat to Jasmine Paolini | Photo: EPA
Nerves were evident as Eala's first service game began with a double-fault, while another came courtesy of a serve so wide it hit the net post.
Paolini, a finalist in 2024, was a break up and serving for the set when Eala finally settled and landed her first blow.
But Paolini punished one too many 70mph Eala second serves to break again and take the opening set.
Breaks for both players came and went at the start of the second and it was Eala who came out on top, after shrugging off an awkward-looking slip on the baseline, to level the match.
A deciding set of bludgeoning baseline rallies swung Paolini's way when, at 3-4 down, Eala double-faulted again at precisely the wrong time.
One long forehand later and Paolini was serving for the match, which she secured after an enthralling two-hour, 21-minute contest.
Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk is through to the quarter-finals at Wimbledon after beating Ashlyn Krueger | Photo: EPA
If Kostyuk goes all the way the Centre Court crowd could see a backflip.
Kostyuk trained as a competitive gymnast for seven years when she was younger and celebrates big tournament wins with a backward somersault.
"I have some people, the volunteers, in the restaurant who are telling me 'can you do a backflip the next time you win a match?'," she said.
"I'm like 'guys, I save it for the only moment I win my first grand slam'. So hopefully."
Kostyuk is in her first Wimbledon quarter-final but has a 16-1 record on grass this season.
Noskova, 21, displayed the skills she had developed under the watchful eye of Martina Hingis' mother, Melanie Molitor, from the age of 3 to 19, to secure the opening set breaking in the tenth game
In the second she led 3-0 lead when her serve started misfiring uncontrollably. She delivered four double faults to get broken in the fifth game, allowing the 2025 Australian Open champion to fight back to 3-3 and drag the set into a tiebreak.
However, ninth seed Noskova was not to be denied.
Her next opponent, 25th-seed Mertens, is also in her first Wimbledon quarter-final, but the 30-year-old did win the women's doubles last year so is no stranger to the venue's big arenas.
