Two wins. That’s all it will take for Alex Eala to take home her second singles title in the pro ranks. This comes after she beat world No. 52 Magda Linette, 6-3, 6-2, in the quarterfinals of the 2026 WTA 250 ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, on Friday morning.
Almost Flawless—Again
Eala’s straight-set conquest isn’t just her third straight win of 2026. It is also the second consecutive match in which she has been near flawless, as she gave up just five points to Linette. Previously, the 20-year-old Filipina surrendered only two points to Petra Marcinko, 6-0, 6-2, in the Round of 16.
Before that, though, the young, Alex Eala walked the tightrope against world No. 69 Donna Vekić as she had to dig deep before ultimately overcoming the veteran. Now, the Philippines’ budding tennis star is through to the semis after consecutive command performances.
FINAL SCORES
SET 1: 6-3
SET 2: 6-2
The first set seemed to hint at a close match between Eala and Linette after the two battled to a 2-2 tie. But Eala reeled off three straight games to take a commanding 5-2 lead before Linette stopped the bleeding with a win in the eighth game. The 20-year-old Quezon City native, though, closed out the first set right after to go up, 1-0.
The 53rd-ranked Eala zoomed to a 4-0 start in the second set before the 52nd-ranked Linette got on the board. The 33-year-old Polish ace then cut the lead to 4-2 with another victory. But that was as close as Linette would get, as Eala bounced back in the seventh game before finishing off the match.
Revenge for Alex Eala and a Step Closer to a Title
For Alex Eala, the victory over Linette served as a measure of revenge, as the latter had previously beaten the Filipina twice already—6-4, 6-2 in the 2025 Nottingham Open and 7-6(4), 6-1 in the 2024 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open. More importantly, the win propelled Eala to the semifinals, putting her in prime position to win her second singles title on the WTA Tour after the WTA 125 Guadalajara Open 2025.
Even with another command performance, it’s still too early to say that Eala is making that leap. But it is certainly a good sign that the Rafa Nadal Academy alum is taking care of business against players in her rankings range—No. 69 Donna Vekić in the Round of 32, No. 82 Petra Marcinko in the Round of 32, and now No. 52 Magda Linette in the quarterfinals.
Alex Eala will next take on world No. 57 Wang Xinyu of China, with a spot in the 2026 WTA 250 ASB Classic finals on the line.
