Paolini returns to Wimbledon quarter-finals after battling past Eala

[p]The 21-year-old left-hander [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/eala-alexandra/ppu9X7PH/"]Eala[/a] is the first player from the Philippines to go ‌so far in a Grand Slam and she pushed the 2024 runner-up hard throughout an absorbing ‌contest.[/p][p]Eala, seeded 29, has captivated Wimbledon crowds with her bubbly personality and ‌the free-flowing game which accounted for defending champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/swiatek-iga/jNyZsXZe/"]Iga Swiatek[/a] on Saturday.[/p][p]But it was ‌the equally popular [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/paolini-jasmine/noaX0EJn/"]Paolini[/a] who raised her game at key moments to ‌reach the quarter-finals for the second time.[/p][h2]'Grass is a weird surface,' Paolini says[/h2][p]The 13th seed's participation at Wimbledon was in doubt with a foot injury that has dogged her season and ‌meant she played just one grasscourt match in ⁠her Wimbledon build-up.[/p][p]Her tournament began with her ‌losing the first set of her opener against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/montgomery-robin/SfXC2Wt1/"]Robin Montgomery[/a] 6-0, but since that ​shaky start, the 30-year-old has rediscovered her bounce.[/p][p][b]"I came here without many matches in the last month and after the first set in ​the first round, it was like 'okay I can only get better, it can't go worse',"[/b] Paolini said on court.[/p][p][b]"I'm feeling better point by point and game ⁠by game. Grass is a ​weird surface, sometimes you love it, sometimes you hate, but when you play well and feel good, it's the best surface."[/b][/p][embed guid="b126ac79-d185-4491-9e4b-cd8bdaabcb3a" url="https://x.com/Wimbledon/status/2074152929007681789" social-type="twitter" /][p]Paolini had some celebrity support, with compatriot Kimi Antonelli, the F1 championship leader, in the Royal Box alongside [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/federer-roger/GrsQDFC0/"]Roger Federer[/a].[/p][h2]Eala cheered on in Manila[/h2][p]Eala has become the darling of Wimbledon though and was also being cheered on by 8,000 fans at a PhilSports Arena watch party in Manila, where her rise up the rankings has captured the public's imagination.[/p][p]She looked a little edgy to start with; however, as Paolini came out full of positive energy to lead 4-1.[/p][p]Eala soon settled and she broke back as Paolini served for the set, only to drop her own serve in the following game with a baseline error.[/p][p]With the mercury rising and some fans opting ‌to leave the court in search of shade, Eala found more depth with ​her ground strokes in the second set as service breaks were swapped.[/p][p]As ‌errors began to fly off the Paolini racket, Eala got another service break and this time made it stick as she took the match into a deciding set.[/p][p]The match was poised on a knife-edge going into the third but Paolini's greater experience told as she piled on the ⁠pressure to break serve for 5-3 ⁠and then finished the job ‌in the next game as Eala sent a return wide.[/p][infobox id="e4d8200d-597f-48d7-83c2-d394f1217426" /]