Alex Eala dethrones Fernandez, advances to DC Open q'finals

July 30 ------ Filipina tennis star Alex Eala marched to the quarterfinals of the Mubadala DC Open authoring an impressive 6-2, 7-6 (6-1) win over defending champion Leylah Fernandez of Canada.

After cruising in the opening frame, Eala had to battle back from a 1-5 deficit in the second set before getting the job done in an hour and 53 minutes. "I think I had definitely some tough moments in that match and credit to Leylah, she put me in some really tough positions. I'm super proud of how I fought and how I stayed in there," said Eala, who less than 24 hours earlier had outlasted Paris Olympics gold medalist Zheng Qinwen of China in a three-set battle in the first round.

Eala surged to a 3-0 advantage in the opener and broke Fernandez in the eighth game to secure the win in just 35 minutes. Fernandez committed 14 unforced errors in the first frame. The Filipina appeared to have sustained her momentum, holding for a 1-0 lead in the second set. But Fernandez showed her own grittiness, battling through five deuces in the second game before winning the point on a forehand.

She went on to win the next four games to take control at 5-1, with Eala struggling with her own errors. Eala managed a crucial hold in the seventh game, and the Filipina turned the match around from there. She reeled off four straight games, holding again for a 6-5 lead. This time it was Fernandez's turn to fall prey to her miscues, with the Canadian sending her shots to the net in the last two rallies of the 11th game.

Fernandez finally held in the 12th game to send the set to a tiebreaker, but Eala would not be denied. The Filipina pulled away for a 3-0 advantage before a fine forehand by Fernandez got her on board. It proved to be her last stand, however. Eala took the next four points, nailing back-to-back forehand winners to complete the comeback. "I know that she was playing a little better and maybe my level dropped a little bit," Eala said afterward. "I think those are very tricky moments, when you know your levels dropped, and you want to do better, but things just -- for one reason or another -- aren't coming out," she added. "I think patience was key there. Just trying to work it out and have a strong mentality in terms of trying to find solutions."

The win continues a breakout season for Eala, who has risen to No. 28 in the world rankings after a strong campaign on grass that included ousting defending champion Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon. It was also a reversal of their result at Stuttgart Open in April, where Fernandez cruised to a 6-1, 6-4 win over Eala. Eala will play the winner of the round-of-16 match between second seed Elina Svitolina and qualifier Polina Kudermetova.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com