Alex Eala wins twice in same day to reach Guadalajara Open semis

MANILA, Philippines, September 5 ------ Alex Eala scored a pair of wins in a span of hours to secure her place in the semifinals of the Guadalajara Open in Mexico. Eala completed her come-from-behind win over the USA’s Varvara Lepchenko then beat Italy’s Nicole Fossa Huergo in straight sets to stay on track of her first WTA title.

Refreshed after her last 16 match with Lepchenko got suspended due to rain the day prior, the Filipina went on to post a 6-7 (3), 7-6 (3), 6-3 win at Court 1 of the Panamerican Tennis Center in Zapopan. Eala won three of the last four games as she led 3-2 in the deciding set before play got halted.

After a short rest, Eala clinched a 7-6 (2), 6-2 victory over Fossa Huergo in the quarterfinals, battling back from the brink of a first-set loss to dispose of the 30-year-old Italian. Fossa Huergo had Eala on the ropes in the opening set as she grabbed a 5-3 lead, but the 20-year-old Filipina nailed the next three games to seize the upper hand at 6-5.

A win in the 12th game allowed Fossa Huergo to force a tiebreak, which Eala won convincingly with a 7-2 score. Following a nip-and-tuck start in the second set that saw a 2-2 tie, Eala pulled away for good by taking the next four games as she broke Fossa Huergo twice en route to the semifinals, where she will face USA’s Kayla Day.

Day advanced after a 7-5, 6-2 upset of third seed Emiliana Arango of Colombia. A second-seed wild card, Eala is the only remaining seeded player in the running as she aims to reach her second WTA final following her runner-up finish in the Eastbourne Open in June, and hopefully, go all the way. Eala battles Day tentatively at 2:10 am on Saturday, September 6, Manila time.

Source: rappler.com