Alex Eala advances to Guadalajara 125 semis after two consecutive wins in single day
Alex Eala advanced to the semifinals of the Guadalajara 125 Open in Mexico after beating two opponents on the same day on Friday, Sept. 5, Philippine time.
Her Sept. 4 match with America's Varvara Lepchenko was suspended due to rain. She was holding a narrow lead, 6(3)-7, 7-6(3), 3-2.
The 19-year-old tennis star picked up where she left off and defeated the 39-year-old Lepchenko, 6(3)-7, 7-6(3), 6-3.
A few hours afterward, Eala faced Italy's Nicole Fossa Huergo, 30, in the quarterfinals. She won 7-6(2), 6-2, securing a ticket to the semis.
Eala will face America's Kayla Day on Saturday morning.
Eala is now the highest-seeded player in the tournament who keeps her title hopes alive at #2 after top-seed Kamilla Rakhimova was eliminated in the opening round by Victoria Jiménez Kasintseva, 1-6, 6-7.
Eala, 20, was fresh off her historic US Open run, where she became the first Filipino to win a Grand Slam singles main draw match.
The World No. 75 entered the Guadalajara 125 as the second seed, now serving as the highest-seeded player following the early exit of the defending champion, Russia's Kamilla Rakhimova.
Eala is seeking her first Women’s Tennis Association Tour title, having reached the Eastbourne Open final earlier this year.
She rose to fame after finishing in the semifinals of the Miami Open, historically defeating three Grand Slam winners in Jenna Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and Iga Swiatek. She also made her first Wimbledon appearance in July.
The Guadalajara 125 Open runs from Aug. 31 to Sept. 6.