Ceramic rods consisting of bundles of well-oriented, single-crystal whiskers of Al2O3, Y3Al5O12, and ZrO2 (20 mol % Y2O3) are grown by directional solidification from the melt at high growth rates in an inert atmosphere by using the laser-heated floating zone method. The nanofibrillar eutectic exhibits an outstanding bending strength (4.6 GPa) and resistance to crack propagation perpendicular to the fibers. The figure shows a TEM image of a longitudinal cross-section of the rod.