London (AFP) – Alexandra Ela is trying to extend her dream of reaching the quarter-finals at Wimbledon when she faces Jasmine Paolini on Monday, while Grigor Dimitrov is trying to banish painful memories of last year’s fourth-round exit.
Released: 05/07/2026 – 20:06
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Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik is also eyeing his first appearance in the All England Club Round of 16, where he will face sixth seed Taylor Fritz.
AFP Sport looks at three matches from day eight of the tournament that are worth watching (x denotes seeding):
Jasmine Paolini (ITA x13) v Alexandra Iala (PHI x29)
Eala leads head-to-head matches 1-0
– Ela stunned defending champion Iga Swiatek with a stunning straight-sets win on Center Court in the third round and now faces the challenge of building on that breakthrough triumph over former Wimbledon finalist Paolini.
The 21-year-old is rumored to be a star in the women’s sport after beating Swiatek to reach the semi-finals of the Miami Open last year.
She had only won one Grand Slam match before arriving at the All England Club last week, but is now starting to make good on her promise by becoming the first Filipino player to reach the third round of a major in the Open era.
Eala is already the biggest female sports star from the Southeast Asian country in recent years, despite the successes of men’s boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, gymnast Carlos Yulo and pole vaulter EJ Obiena on the world stage.
“I’m honored to pave the way for young girls,” Ila said. “It would be the honor of my life to be able to inspire others. I think inspiration is such a beautiful thing.”
The wily Paolini faces a tough test but the Italian, who lost the French Open and Wimbledon finals in 2024, knows she is unlikely to be the crowd’s favourite.
“She’s playing great,” Paolini said of Ila, who has strong support from the Filipino fans.
“There’s a huge crowd with her. Now on the bridge they shouted: “Alex, Alex.” I think it’s so good for our sport that we reach more people around the world.”
Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) v Arthur Fery (GBR)
First meeting
Grigor Dimitrov chases ‘destiny’ as he strives to put last year’s injury withdrawal behind him © Henry NICHOLLS / AFP
– Dimitrov returned in the fourth round, 12 months after he was forced to retire due to injury at the same stage against eventual champion Jannik Sinner when he was leading by two sets.
The Bulgarian returned to the tour earlier this year but needed a wildcard to qualify for Wimbledon.
“I believe in fate, but right now we’re just living in the moment,” he said before his match with Britain’s Arthur Fehry.
“I think that’s all I try to do every single day when I step on the court, whether I’m playing a match or not.”
This will be the first time the two wild cards have met in the last 16 men’s Grand Slam tournaments.
Fery is the last surviving British singles player, becoming the fifth player from his country to reach the fourth round in the 21st century with an epic victory over Zizou Bergs in the tournament’s longest match to date.
“This is something special for me. This is my home tournament. This is where I grew up,” said Fery, who went to school at Wimbledon.
Taylor Fritz (USA x6) v Alexander Bublik (KAZ x10)
Face-to-face meetings 4-4
Alexander Bublik won a night thriller against Frances Tiafoe in the 1/8 finals © Glyn KIRK/AFP
— Fritz, last year’s semi-finalist, faces a difficult task against the colorful Kazakh Bublik on court one.
Bublik was best known for his on-court outbursts and armbar serves before reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open last year.
In the three months after that, he won four ATP titles, ranking among the top 15 athletes in the world.
Bublik has lost his last five meetings with prolific American Fritz, a former US Open finalist who famously lost an epic Wimbledon quarter-final to the injured Rafael Nadal in 2022.
© 2026 AFP