Alex Eala in action during the W80 Poitiers in France. –ALEX EALA FACEBOOK/
MANILA, Philippines — Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala marched into the quarterfinals of the W80 Poitiers as she took down Vitalia Diatchenko of Russia, 6-4, 6-3, on Thursday in France.
The 17-year-old Eala, who is currently at her best Women’s Tennis Association’s ranking No. 248, got the better of Diatchenko to reach her second career quarterfinal appearance in an $80,000 tournament.
Eala battles the winner of the match between China’s Xinyu Wang and Croatia’s Ana Konjuh in the next round.
On Wednesday, Eala survived French Jessika Ponchet in three sets, 6-2, 5-7, 7-6(6), on Wednesday to advance in the singles.
However, the reigning US Open girls’ singles champion suffered a quarterfinal exit in the doubles division as she and her Croatian partner lost to No.3 seed Miriam Kolodziejova and Marketa Vondrousova of Czech Republic, 7-5, 6-2.
Eala, a Rafael Nadal Academy scholar, overcame Jessika Ponchet of France, 6-2-, 5-7, 7-6(6) in the first round of the main draw.
She dominated the qualifiers to reach the main draw of her second $80,000 tournament, where she eyes her third professional crown.
Eala suffered her previous finish from last week’s W60 Hamburg in Germany, where she was eliminated in the second round.