Week in Review: Eala levels up in DC while Liutova breaks through in Memphis

Since achieving breakout status last year in Miami, Alexandra Eala has been stacking firsts. She reached her first WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz final in Eastbourne last June, won her first WTA 125 title in Guadalajara in September and added another in Birmingham two months ago. 

A first second-week appearance at Wimbledon followed shortly after, and her rise was cemented with a monumental title run this week in Washington, where she defeated Zheng Qinwen, Leylah Fernandez, Elina Svitolina, Naomi Osaka and Jessica Pegula to earn her first tour-level crown and make her Top 20 debut.

With Eala's maiden triumph at the forefront, here's everything that happened on the WTA Tour this week.

Star of the Week

Alexandra Eala

Let's start with that final. After an extended rain delay Sunday, Eala had dropped the opening set. More rain early in the second forced the remainder of the match to be played Monday. When play resumed, it was all Eala. She rallied for a 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 victory over Pegula, the top seed and American No. 1, to claim her first WTA title in the US capital.

It was a full-circle moment: Pegula won her first title on the same court in 2019. For Pegula, that victory was a "monkey off her back." For Eala, this felt more like a coronation -- the moment her rise into the sport's upper echelon became undeniable.

The big wins were already there -- she owns nine Top 10 victories, seven of them this season -- and she had already delivered several Filipino firsts at Grand Slams and beyond before this latest one. But now, as a WTA champion and Top 20 player, she's no longer a breakout star. She's a force to be reckoned with.

Breakthrough of the Week

Kristina Liutova

Before this past week, 16-year-old Kristina Liutova had never played a WTA main draw. She hadn't appeared in a WTA 125, hadn't cracked the Top 200 and her best win by ranking was over No. 147 Arantxa Rus en route to a W100 title in Indian Harbour Beach.

But after coming through qualifying and winning six straight matches to take the Memphis title, Liutova is now the youngest active champion on tour and is up to No. 126 in the PIF WTA Rankings. She earned her first three Top 100 wins, including her first Top 20 victory over No. 1 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the opening round. In the final, she came from a set down to beat fellow first-time finalist Darja Vidmanova 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 in just over two hours.

The first WTA champion born in the 2010s, Liutova appears poised for a rapid rise -- and she'll make her Grand Slam qualifying debut later this month at the US Open.

Most Heartfelt Moment of the Week

Alexandra Eala embraces the Filipino fans

Every player knows that facing Eala means facing her large, passionate Filipino fan base. That didn't change in DC -- even against Pegula, an American playing on home soil. Eala made sure the energy they bring for her, week after week, was recognized and appreciated.

Match of the Week

Caty McNally d. Wang Xiyu, Memphis Classic Round of 32

Caty McNally's run ended in the quarterfinals against Liutova, but she produced one of the week's standout moments in the opening round. She converted her fifth match point to defeat Wang Xiyu 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5) win in 3 hours and 11 minutes and complete a gritty comeback from a set down.

Point of the Week

Diana Shnaider's defense tees up Venus Williams to unleash her backhand

Another week, another chance to spotlight doubles and Venus Williams. The 14-time Grand Slam doubles champion unleashed a pair of trademark backhands after superb defense from partner Diana Shnaider. The point anchored their straight-sets win over Ulrikke Eikeri and Quinn Gleason in Washington.

Upset of the Week

Kristina Liutova d. Ekaterina Alexandrova, Memphis Classic Round of 32

Although Alexandrova was forced to retire due to the heat, Liutova had already put herself in position to win outright after going up a break in the decider. She was two points from victory, leading 5-4 in the third. Regardless of the ending, this upset sparked her run to the title.

Comeback of the Week

Anna Kalinskaya d. Janice Tjen, Mubadala DC Open Round of 16

Anna Kalinskaya dropped the first set in lopsided fashion but fought back to force a third-set tiebreak. There, the No. 5 seed saved two match points and ultimately closed out a 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7) win in 2 hours and 17 minutes to book her fourth quarterfinal in four trips to DC.

Quote of the Week

"First title is always going to be super special, right? That's what I hear and I think it will be. I wouldn't phrase it personally as like a 'monkey off my back.' though. Instead, it's like, 'Wow, I achieved that. Okay, let's go for more.' It's not kind of, 'Oh, thank God I achieved that already.'

"I knew that whether or not I won today, I would get the crack at it again at some point. But I'm thankful it happened today." - Alexandra Eala, after becoming the first player from the Philippines to win a WTA Tour title