Filipina tennis star Alex Eala is headed to the fourth round of the Miami Open after a 6-3, 7-6 (7/2) victory over Poland’s Magda Linette on Sunday (Manila time).

After a relatively comfortable win in the opening frame, Eala needed to hold her nerve in the second set as the unseeded Pole, who had pulled off an upset of compatriot Iga Swiatek in the second round.

“I think I just told myself to be brave,” Eala said of the second set tiebreak. “Just do whatever I could. I can’t control how she was playing… I think she upped her game in the second.”

“So I tried to go for my shots, and they were effective, luckily,” she added.

Up next for Eala is 13th-seeded Czech Karolina Muchova.

“I’m really excited,” Eala said of the match-up. “She’s obviously a great player and is doing really well. A couple of years back, I watched one of her finals and I was really impressed.”

“To be put in a position to compete against her is a real privilege and [it’s] gonna be a test for sure.”