Alex Eala during the W100 Vitoria-Gastez doubles final.–Photo from Rafael Nadal Academy
MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala captured her third International Tennis Federation (ITF) doubles crown, which she seeks to pair with the W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz singles championship and complete a rare feat on Sunday night (Manila time) in Spain.
Eala and her French partner Estelle Cascino withstood a tough challenge from Lia Karatancheva of Bulgaria and Diana Marcinkevica of Latvia, 6-3, 2-6, 10-4, to rule the Vitoria-Gasteiz doubles final on Saturday evening.
The Filipino-French tandem couldn’t sustain its strong start in the first set as it allowed Karatancheva and Marcinkevica to dominate the second frame and force a decider.
READ: Alex Eala nears doubles crown, makes W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz final
Eala and Cascino got their act together in the third and unleashed an 8-1 spread, never looking back to win their second championship together since ruling the W75 Croissy-Beaubourg in France last March.
The 19-year-old Filipino earned her third doubles title as a pro after a perfect run with Cascino, beating Spanish sisters Jimena and Carolina Gomez in the first round, 6-3, 6-2, and knocking out Victoria Bevid and Laura Mair in the quarterfinal, 6-4, 6-1.
Moments before ruling the doubles, Eala booked her eighth championship appearance in an ITF singles competition after dominating Mexico’s Maria Jose Portillo Ramirez in the semifinal, 6-2, 6-1.
READ: Alex Eala off to winning start in W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz singles
Eala showed her dominance in just 65 minutes to forge a championship duel with Victoria Jimenez Kasinteva of Andorra on Sunday at 6 p.m.
The Rafael Nadal Academy graduate, who earned her career-high Women’s Tennis Association of No. 155, is eyeing her fifth singles title in the ITF and her first $100,000 tournament triumph paired with a doubles crown.