BBC Wimbledon host shares ‘major shock’ in competition first | TV & Radio | Showbiz & TV

Wimbledon welcomed day six of the tough competition on Saturday (July 4) as players hoped to bag a place in the fourth round. An exciting order of play included Emma Navarro (USA) against Marta Kostyuk (UKR) on Court Two, while Arthur Fery represented Great Britain on Court 18 against Belgian Zizou Bergs, along with many other games.

However, it was on Centre Court that audiences were left floored as Alexandra Eala of the Philippines took on Poland’s Iga Świątek. Currently ranked third in the world in women’s singles, Świątek, 25, is a six-time Grand Slam champion and was playing to defend her championship.

Świątek claimed her first Wimbledon title last summer when she delivered a crushing 6-0, 6-0 final victory over Amanda Anisimova. However, she has been knocked out of this year’s competition.

During the enthralling third-round match against 29th seed Eala, Świątek lost the first set in an epic tie-break, 21 -19, before capitulating in the second set, losing 7-6 (11-9) 6-2.

While BBC One was airing the Arthur Fery match, host Clare Balding interrupted to confirm that Eala has made history as the first player from the Philippines to reach the fourth round of a major tournament.

Speaking live from the BBC studios at Wimbledon, in London, Clare announced: “Let us bring you up to date with a major shock. The defending champion, Iga Świątek, is out of Wimbledon, and Alex Eala is the first player from the Philippines ever to reach the fourth round here.

“A huge result, she is immensely popular all around the world, and gets really big crowds following her. Eala is only 21, and this is a massive moment for her, and indeed for the Philippines.”

After scoring her winning point, Eala dropped to the floor before quickly getting back up again to acknowledge her opponent, Świątek.

Eala was emotional during her on-court interview and reflected on her younger days, when she could only have dreamed of such a moment.

“I’m really emotional. For someone like Iga, who has won so many Grand Slams, or maybe like Serena or Venus, this achievement may seem small but for someone who grew up in the Philippines it is huge,” she said as the crowd cheered.

“I went to train with my brother and my grandfather every day after school with my ruffled socks, light-up shoes, and chubby cheeks, so to younger me, this is everything. But, obviously, just because I’m emotional does not mean I’m satisfied, so next round let’s go!”

You can catch up with the latest from Wimbledon on BBC iPlayer.