Alex Eala (right) of the Philippines and doubles partner Dasha Plekhanova of Canada. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Alex Eala continued to save the day for the Philippines as she crushed her Chinese foe to barge into the girls singles semifinals Friday in the Phinma-PSC International Junior Tennis Championships at Manila Polo Club.
The 13-year-old Eala, the Week 1 champion in singles, subdued Tian Fangran, 6-4, 7-5, to advance to the next round and stay on course for a third ITF singles crown this year.
The 15-year-old Tian, who upset second seed Saki Oyama of Japan in the second round, tried to impose her power play against the younger yet more versatile Filipino ace in the second set.
But the Chinese, who won an ITF juniors title in India recently, found no answer to Eala’s grounds strokes on the soft clay.
Eala currently trains at Rafael Nadal Academy where she said they’re being taught to play on different surfaces.
She became the last local campaigner standing after Nio Tria bowed to fourth seed Kokoro Isomura, 6-3, 6-1, in boys singles.
Eala is gunning for her second straight final appearance against 15-year-old Mei Hasegawa of Japan, who eliminated Dasha Plekhanova of Canada, 7-6 (0), 6-2.
Eala and Plekhanova reached the girls doubles semi-finals after a hard-fought 6-7 (2), 7-5, (10-2) victory over second seeds Oyama and Fang Wei-ning of Chinese Taipei.