The Center Court at the Sobeys Stadium in Toronto turned into a Filipino fiesta as Alex Eala continued her hot form by beating world No. 71 Alycia Parks of the United States, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2, in the Round of 64 of the Canadian Open on Thursday.

The 21-year-old Eala admitted that she was greatly overwhelmed after seeing a huge crowd dominated by Filipinos screaming, waving and cheering for her, giving her a much-needed adrenaline rush during crucial moments that pushed her to her first victory since winning the Washington Open last Tuesday.

Eala was so pumped up that she opened her match against Parks — her tormentor in the Australian Open last January — with a strong start and an even stronger finish to book a spot in the Round of 32 after one hour and 51 minutes.

“I think I was so hyped after the match, it didn’t end in the on-court interview. Even when I was in the gym, I was still so hyped,” Eala said in a post-match interview.

“I think this win really meant a lot. It was a great opportunity for me to learn and to grow as a player.”

Eala added that she had to stay patient after the big-serving American forced the match to a pivotal third set.

“I think I had to take it point by point. Of course, I think she played really well in the second set, and there were definitely things I could have done a little better,” Eala said.

“I tried to improve on that in the third. I tried to come out hot and just take all the opportunities that I could because she doesn’t really give you much.”

Eala has played only one match in Toronto but is already feeling the love due to the city’s diverse community. In fact, organizers had to move her match to the 10,000-seater Center Court as tickets in a smaller venue were sold out as early as Wednesday. They also served chicken adobo at the fan zone as a nod to the Filipino heritage of the newest sensation of professional tennis.

“I know Toronto is such a multicultural city, so it’s nice for me to be here for the first time, to experience that culture and that atmosphere. Of course, out there I felt very much at home with all the people supporting me,” Eala said.

“I hope that they enjoyed the tennis. I hope that they enjoyed the grounds and got to see all these great matches and experience everything, and that they’ll want to come back.”

Eala stressed that she was proud of her performance despite having little time to adjust for the prestigious Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 1000 tournament due to the postponement of her Washington Open final clash with world No. 3 Jessica Pegula earlier this week.

“Definitely not easy transitioning from one tournament to another so soon, especially after all the emotions I’ve experienced over the past, I guess, 48 hours. So, I’m really proud of myself, and hopefully I can keep the ball rolling,” the Filipina, who skyrocketed to world No. 20 in the WTA ranking, said.

With her fiery form, Eala has the opportunity to make history anew, becoming the first Filipino-born player to win the women’s singles title at the Canadian Open. After all, her best run in a WTA 1000 tournament was her breakthrough performance in the Miami Open last year, where she reached the semifinals.

Awaiting Eala next is world No. 70 Caty McNally of the United States in the Round of 32 on Saturday.

The 24-year-old McNally, however, will be a tough nut to crack as she enters the match brimming with confidence after pulling off a 7-6, 6-1 upset over world No. 7 Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic.

“Come watch us. I’m so excited to play with her. It’s gonna be a great time,” McNally said.

Should Eala beat McNally, she is projected to face world No. 14 Belinda Bencic of Switzerland in the Round of 16.

But before that, she will join forces with seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams as they battle Miyu Kato of Japan and Liudmila Samsonova of Russia in the Round of 32. Match is ongoing at press time,

Meeting up again following their stint at the Bad Homburg Open in Germany last June, Eala wants to soak up as many lessons as possible from the 46-year-old Williams.

“I’m really, really excited to be playing doubles with her again. Every opportunity I get to share the court with her is super cherished,” Eala said.

“She’s got a great mentality, and there’s so much I can learn from her.”