Alex Eala pulled out another magical comeback victory on Wednesday, rallying to beat Belarusian veteran Aliaksandra Sasnovich, 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5), to advance to the quarterfinals of the WTA 500 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open.
The world No. 45 struggled to find rhythm at the outset as Sasnovich dominated behind precise serving and aggressive returns. Even so, Eala briefly held serve in the opening game, but the Belarusian quickly seized control with multiple breaks to wrap up the first set in just over half an hour without facing a break point.
Momentum began to shift in the second set. Although the 31-year-old Belarusian struck first with an early break, the 20-year-old Pinay steadily applied pressure, generating numerous break opportunities and capitalizing late to snatch the frame and force a decider after more than an hour of grinding rallies.
Alex Eala Rallies from 0–4 Hole
What followed was a tense and improbable turnaround. Sasnovich surged to a commanding 4-0 lead in the third set and later stood a point away from extending the gap further, seemingly on course for victory. Alex Eala, however, refused to yield.
Egged on by a pro-Filipino crowd, the Filipina tennis ace clawed back game by game, erased match point, and surged ahead to 6-5 before Sasnovich forced a tiebreak.
In the decisive breaker, the Belarusian again edged in front at 5-4. Eala responded with fearless shot-making, winning the final three points to complete the stunning comeback in a marathon that lasted nearly three hours.
The triumph secured Eala’s place in the last eight—her fifth career WTA-level quarterfinal—and set up a first-time showdown with second seed and world No. 11 Ekaterina Alexandrova.
The win follows the Filipina’s straight-sets victory against Zeynep Sönmez in the Round of 32.
ALEX EALA NEXT MATCH:
Alex Eala vs. Ekaterina Alexandrova (Singles, Quarterfinals)
- Date: February 5, 2026
- Venue: Zayed Sports City International Tennis Centre
- Time: 9:00 p.m. (Subject to change)
Alex Eala | Janice Tjen vs. Zhang Shuai | Cristina Bucșa
- Date: February 5, 2026
- Venue: Zayed Sports City International Tennis Centre
- Time: 11:00 p.m. (Subject to change)
