Ranked 140th in the world, the 19-year-old Eala is the first woman from her country to reach the last eight of a WTA 1000 tournament.

"This is the dream. I have to enjoy," the Filipina wildcard said.

"It feels amazing because I know this is a historical achievement, which I dedicate to my country. It's also a huge personal achievement, and for that I'd love to give myself and my team a pat on the back. It's not the end goal. Keep working," said Eala.

Eala fired 10 winners in the opening set, catching Swiatek off-guard with her forehand down-the-line hits while also benefiting from a whopping 19 unforced errors from the Pole.

Armed with momentum, Eala surged to a 2-0 lead in the second set before Swiatek found her rhythm, winning four straight games to take control. The Filipina teenager regrouped, however, and broke Swiatek for the eighth time at 6-5 to seal the win. 

Tennis: Alex Eala stuns Swiatek, advances to Miami Open semis

"Hindi ako makapaniwala. My mind was still on the match and was thinking the match was on, and I'm super happy the ball went out," said Eala.

"Siyempre sa isip ko, kaya ko, bola na. The court is not the place to belittle yourself. For me, it's all about the mindset this week." she added. "Now everything is coming out on court. I've been training hard for a while… I'm just so pleased to see the results.”

Eala said she worked to stay composed after winning the first set and Swiatek taking the lead in the second.

"She bounced back, [with the] Iga fire that she has. It's something I've been through many times with other opponents, but not Iga. I just had to treat it like it was another opponent that was trying to come back and still come back swinging," said the teenager from Quezon City.

Alex Eala takes care of business with little drama

Eala has been in a professional setting since she was 13, when she left her homeland to join Rafael Nadal's academy in Mallorca.

For the past six years, she has lived and breathed tennis alongside top coaches and a group of players all hoping to make the journey onto the tour.

The twin influences on her career were evident in her box -- her parents had flown in from the Philippines for the game as had an uncle and cousin based in Seattle but sat with them was Toni Nadal, the Spanish great's uncle and former coach, representing the academy.

"These people have been the ones who have believed in me and supported me even when nothing was happening, so for them to be here when everything is happening, it just means the world," Eala said.

"I'm so blessed to have my parents; I think I won the lottery with them."

Eala will face the winner of Wednesday's quarter-final between Britain's Emma Raducanu and American Jessica Pegula. Semifinals will be played Thursday night(Friday morning in Manila).

"I know that they're both good, both fighters. Either one, a set of problems will be presented, and I have to deal with them." Eala said.

“I'm so excited. I'm willing to die on the court tomorrow," she said.