FILE – Alex Eala during the W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz. Photo from Alex Eala’s Facebook
MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala stunned the No.1 seed Priscilla Hon of Australia, 6-2, 6-4, to march into the semifinal round of the W25 Roehampton on Friday evening (Manila time) in Great Britain.
The sixth-seeded Eala broke a 2-2 tie in the opening set, winning four straight including a clutch ace in the eighth game to draw first blood.
Eala, the Women’s Tennis Association world rank No. 250, carried the momentum into the second set with a 5-2 start. However, the 201st-ranked Hon trimmed it down to a one-point deficit with two crucial aces in the ninth game, 5-4, but the Filipino netter stayed composed and dominated the 10th game to prevail after 79 minutes.
FILE–Filipino tennis star Alex Eala. –Photo from Alex Eala’s Instagram
The 18-year-old Eala is making her third semifinal appearance in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournaments this season following her third pro title run in W25 Yecla last June and a Final Four stint in the W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz last month.
Eala guns for her second Finals appearance this year when she battles third seed Arianne Hartono of the Netherlands on Saturday.
The Rafael Nadal Academy graduate opened her campaign with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Australian qualifier Gabriella Da Silva Fick, followed by a 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 win over her doubles partner, Destanee Aiava of Australia.
Eala and Aiava lost in the doubles quarterfinal with a 1-6, 5-7 loss to the top-seeded Australian pair Talia Gibson and Petra Hule on Thursday.