Eala soars into singles R2, doubles semis at W25 Aldershot

August 18 ------ Four-time ITF women’s champion Alex Eala extended her winning streak at the W25 Aldershot in Great Britain, prevailing in the singles first round and doubles quarterfinals of the $25,000 tournament.

The 18-year-old from the Philippines, who conquered the W25 Roehampton on Sunday, eliminated British wildcard Ranah Akua Stoiber, 6-2, 6-4, at the Aldershot Tennis Centre outdoor hard court. At 2-2, Eala broke serve via a double fault, held serve quickly due to Stoiber’s missed forehand passing shot, and broke again after forcing the seventh game to deuce.

Eala, the WTA World No. 248 and reigning US Open Juniors singles titlist, proceeded to serve out the opening set at love, 6-2. Up a set and a break, Eala advanced to 4-2 by saving a break point with a backhand winner down the line and claiming the sixth game with another winning backhand. The 867th-ranked Stoiber, 18, replied by saving two break points to hold for 3-4. She secured another crucial service hold for 4-5 wherein she saved three match points. Eala, who was down 15-40 while serving for the match, caught up to deuce and won on her lone match point, 6-4, to figure in a second-round clash with World No. 338 Talia Gibson of Australia.

Later in the day, the Filipino teen champion and 32-year-old Urszula Radwanska of Poland scored a 6-3, 7-5 quarterfinal upset of British top seeds Emily Appleton and Lauryn John-Baptiste. Eala and Radwanska claimed a 4-1 lead on the deciding point at deuce, and they widened the gap to 5-3 by breaking back their opponents. After holding serve to love for 6-3, the Filipino-Polish team struggled in the second set as they trailed at 1-4 following Appleton and John-Baptiste’s love service hold. Eala and Radwanska improved to 4-5 with a service break at 40-30, and equalized after coming back from 0-30 in the 10th game.

With another break secured, their fourth in five opportunities, Eala and Radwanska served for the match at 6-5. They won on their second of three match points, 7-5, to reach the semifinals versus Japanese No. 3 seeds Erina Hayashi and Saki Imamura. In the first round, Eala and Radwanska eliminated Andre Lukosiute of Lithuania and Eliz Maloney of Great Britain, 6-4, 6-4. Eala, the girls’ doubles winner at the 2020 Australian Open and 2021 Roland Garros, has yet to win a professional doubles crown. Her Polish partner, whose older sister is former WTA World No. 2 Agnieszka Radwanska, has 11 doubles titles – 10 ITF and one on the WTA Tour.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com