Struggling Elena Rybakina crashes out of Berlin after shock defeat to Alexandra Eala

[p]The 2022 Wimbledon champion and reigning Australian Open winner burst out of the blocks to take a 4-1 lead but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/eala-alexandra/ppu9X7PH/"]Eala[/a] fought back, breaking the Kazakh's usually strong serve twice to take the opening set.[/p][p]World number 35 Eala stayed in control during the second, breaking her heavily favoured opponent once to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/eala-a-ppu9X7PH/rybakina-e-UDzElXdm/?mid=C6gUGttH"]storm to an upset victory[/a].[/p][p]The 21-year-old Eala exacted revenge over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rybakina-elena/UDzElXdm/"]Rybakina[/a], who beat her in straight sets on clay at the Italian Open in May.[/p][embed guid="dd457eea-18c9-4f9d-8537-a97c643495f9" url="https://x.com/WTA/status/2067664940010258570" social-type="twitter" /][p]Eala, the first Filipino player to break into the top 50, is in fine form, having beaten newly minted Queen's Club champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vekic-donna/AsWv5414/"]Donna Vekic[/a] in the opening match in Berlin.[/p][p]Eala will face world number eight [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/monfils-elina/jyngIesG/"]Elina Svitolina[/a], who beat German [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lys-eva/v93ljkqM/"]Eva Lys[/a] in straight sets [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/lys-e-v93ljkqM/svitolina-e-jyngIesG/?mid=A1adNVp2"]6-3, 6-2[/a] earlier on Thursday, in the quarter-finals.[/p][p]In the other quarter-finals, world number one [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sabalenka-aryna/vyhksgUB/"]Aryna Sabalenka[/a] takes on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bartunkova-nikola/84ILHaZ4/"]Nikola Bartunkova[/a], world number four [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pegula-jessica/KdojxrAR/"]Jessica Pegula[/a] faces [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/keys-madison/QwU996PK/"]Madison Keys[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/noskova-linda/zHMiAkw6/"]Linda Noskova[/a] is up against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/badosa-paula/Wl76rX3I/"]Paula Badosa[/a].[/p]