(UPDATED) Filipina tennis star Alex Eala produced a gutsy display to advance to the round-of-16 of the Canadian Open, outlasting Caty McNally of the United States in a three-set thriller on Friday at the Sobeys Stadium in Toronto (early Saturday in Manila).

Eala emerged triumphant in a roller-coaster affair, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, to book her place in the fourth round of the WTA 1000 event.

It was a hard-earned win for the Filipina, who had a chance to serve for the match in the second set but faltered, before regaining her bearings in the decider and securing the win in two hours and 39 minutes.

“I think survived that one. It was so tough,” said Eala, who took a medical timeout in the second set to get her right ankle wrapped after a tumble.

She assured the crowd that she was “okay” and hailed McNally for a well-fought battle.

“I want to thank Caty for a great match, being a great sport. It’s one of those matches that really could have gone either way,” she said. “I think it was really down to details and a little bit of luck. So, give her her flowers, guys. It was a really great match.”

Backed once again by a vocal Filipino contingent at center court, Eala bucked a slow start that saw world No. 38 McNally claim a 3-1 lead in the opener. She won five straight games to snatch a comfortable 6-3 win.

Eala took a 3-2 lead in the second set but suffered a tumble in the fifth game and had to have her right ankle taped by a trainer before pushing through. McNally won the next two games to take a 4-3 advantage, but Eala held to love to knot the count then scored a crucial break for a 5-4 advantage.

But with a chance to serve for the match, Eala faltered, committing a series of errors that allowed McNally to go up 40-0. An errant forehand by the American briefly kept Eala in the hunt, but the Filipina sent her own forehand to the net to surrender the tenth game.

McNally went on to win the next two games, breaking Eala to love in the 12th game to send the match to a decider.

Eala immediately broke McNally in the first game of the third set to regain momentum, eventually building a 5-3 advantage. McNally held to extend the match, but Eala took care of business in the ensuing game as back-to-back wayward forehands by the American wrapped up the match.

Afterwards, an emotional Eala credited the passionate support of the Filipino fans as a motivation to keep fighting.

“I mean, to play in front of you guys, it’s amazing,” she said. “The motivation to come here and play another match, everything just becomes so much more emotional.”

World number 20 Eala next faces Swiss 12th seed Belinda Bencic, who outlasted American Taylor Townsend 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 after three hours and 24 minutes.

Meanwhile, Reigning Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina advanced to the fourth round, while French Open winner Mirra Andreeva was eliminated by Canada’s Leylah Fernandez.

World number two Rybakina from Kazakhstan defeated American 28th seed Ann Li 6-2, 7-5 in 90 minutes, winning five of six break chances while saving two of four against her.

Rybakina, who also won the 2022 Wimbledon title, advanced to a last-16 meeting with Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova, who outlasted Australian Maya Joint 7-5, 6-7 (3/7), 6-2.

Fernandez, the 30th seed, dispatched 19-year-old fifth-ranked Russian Andreeva 6-1, 6-4 in 80 minutes, snapping a seven-match losing streak against top-10 opponents.

Fernandez will next face four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka, the 11th seed from Japan who defeated Belgium’s 20th-seeded Elise Mertens 6-1, 6-2 in 71 minutes.

US fourth seed Coco Gauff, a two-time Grand Slam winner, advanced by defeating Greece’s Maria Sakkari 6-1, 6-4 in 76 minutes.