MANILA, Philippines—Alex Eala continued her W60 Nantes run, advancing in the semifinal round after defeating home bet Leolia Jeanjean, 6-4, 2-0, in France on Friday (Manila time).
The Filipino tennis ace had to turn in another comeback effort to dispatch her French counterpart, who retired in the second set.
Eala pulled off a hard-earned 7-6(5), 6-4 victory over Zeynep Sonmez of Turkiye in the round of 16 on Wednesday.
After absorbing a 1-4 blitz by Jeanjean in the opening set, the world’s 193rd-ranked player blanked the opposition to take a 1-0 set lead.
Eala never looked back since taking the headstart.
The 18-year-old Eala’s victory set her up for a semis clash with Czech competitor Gabriela Knutson on Friday.
The other semis bracket features French bets Oceane Dodin and Elsa Jacquemot.
Eala is gunning for a fifth title in the pro ranks.