Alex Eala made more history on Thursday morning after beating Sorana Cirstea, 7–5, 6–4, in the WTA 1000 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Another Fast Start from Alex Eala
Service instability marked the opening exchanges, but sustained baseline rallies made breaks difficult to secure.
The Romanian briefly nudged ahead at 5–4, but the Filipina tennis ace responded with a confident hold, elevated her returning intensity, and captured the pivotal break for 6–5.
Although the 35-year-old veteran erased two set points, she surrendered the set with an unforced error, shifting momentum firmly toward the 20-year-old.
Alex Eala’s Second-Set Surge
The Rafa Nadal alumnus then stormed to a 4–0 lead in the second set by attacking second serves and dictating forehand exchanges inside the baseline.
The pride of Quezon City protected a 5–1 advantage after fending off break opportunities, but Cirstea refused to fade, stringing together three consecutive games to narrow the margin to 5–4 and inject late tension into the encounter.
Calm under pressure, Eala produced an ace hold in the 10th game, punctuating the victory with a clean winner to complete the straight-sets triumph. Her steadiness in decisive moments, combined with disciplined shot selection, ultimately proved the difference against the experienced Romanian, who struggled to contain errors during extended rallies.
History Made
With the win, Alex Eala avenged her three-set loss to Cirstea two years ago on the clay courts of Madrid, Spain. It also sealed her second quarterfinal appearance in a WTA 1000 event, following last season’s breakthrough at the Miami Open, while also becoming the first Filipino to reach this stage in the tournament’s history.
Next up for Alex Eala is an even bigger challenge: world No. 4 Coco Gauff. The American rallied past Elise Mertens in three sets earlier to arrange a compelling clash between former doubles partners last year.
