Alex Eala makes quick work against American semifinals opponent, Kayla Day, in their match earlier September 6 which now gives Eala an opportunity to win her 1st ever title.
Still in “Tip-Top Shape” in the Semifinals
After playing 2 crucial matches in one day, No. 70 Eala didn’t show any sign of fatigue as she took on No. 418 Day in their semifinals clash.
The pride of the Philippines, Alex, had a shaky start, dropping her opening service game to trail 0-2. But the second seed quickly regrouped, unleashing a barrage of deep returns and aggressive baseline play to reel off six consecutive games and snatch the first set.
FINAL SCORE OF SET 1: 6-2
She carried that momentum into the second set, racing ahead 2-0. Day, a former US Open junior champion and once ranked as high as No. 84, briefly leveled at 2-all. However, Eala remained composed, breaking serve again and storming through four of the next five games to seal the win.
The match ended in just over an hour which marked Eala’s fourth straight win in Mexico.
FINAL SCORE OF SET 2: 6-3
The semifinal showdown was also notable as a duel between two past US Open girls’ singles winners with Eala lifting the trophy in 2022 while Day captured the crown in 2016.
One Win Away from her 1st Ever Championship in the Pros
With this victory, Alex Eala reached her 2nd finals in her professional career.
Eala played in the Finals of Eastbourne Open last June 2025 where she bowed down to the eventual champ, Maya Joint, after a grueling 3-Set thriller in the grasscourt.
The semifinals match was only her third time in her career. Her 1st came against Jessica Pegula in the hardcourt of the Miami Open 2025 where she lost. Then her 2nd semis was against Varvara Gracheva in the Eastbourne Open.
Up Next: Veteran Panna Udvardy in the Finals
Perhaps Eala’s toughest match yet in the entire WTA 125 Guadalajara Open will be against the 26 year old Hungarian, Panna Udvardy.
No. 134 and former WTA top-80 player. Udvardy secured her finals berth with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Russia’s Maria Kozyreva in the other semifinal, after ousting fourth seed Francesca Jones.
A former Wimbledon second-rounder, Udvardy also owns a WTA 125 crown from her 2022 triumph in Buenos Aires.
It’s also worth noting that Alex Eala lost against Panna Udvardy in the Round of 16 in their last meeting during the Oeiras Open at Portugal last April 2025.
Will Alex get her revenge against Panna in the Finals? Their match is set to happen tomorrow morning, Sunday, September 7 at 2:00 AM.
