Alex Eala beats Sawangkaew, advances to Birmingham Open semis

Alex Eala in action during the WTA 125 Birmingham Open. –BIRMINGHAM OPEN PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Alex Eala ousted Mananchaya Sawangkaew of Thailand, 6-3, 6-2, to secure a spot in the semifinals of the Birmingham Open on Saturday.

Eala overcame a tough challenge from Sawangkaew but found her stride in both sets to arrange a semifinal duel with Switzerland’s Rebeka Masarova.

After Sawangkaew took a 2-1 lead in the second set, Eala strung together five straight games to seal the match in one hour and 21 minutes.

It was a similar story in the first set as the tournament’s top seed broke away from a 1-1 deadlock by winning four straight games for a commanding 5-1 advantage.

“I’ll take the experience that I got from this match,” said Eala, who moved within two wins of her second WTA 125 title after capturing the Guadalajara crown last year.

The Filipino tennis star said she took pride in facing a fellow Southeast Asian on the court.

Eala scored a repeat victory over Sawangkaew, whom she defeated in the women’s tennis singles final of the 2025 Southeast Asian Games.

Eala and Masarova, ranked 132 in the WTA,  will square off for a place in the final later Saturday.