Alex Eala advances to the quarterfinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
The impressive journey of Alex Eala at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships continued on Wednesday as she overcame world No. 32 Sorana Cîrstea with a score of 7-5, 6-4, advancing to the quarterfinals.
This marks her second appearance in the last eight of a WTA 1000 event, following her notable run at last year’s Miami Open. Additionally, it serves as a measure of revenge for Eala’s earlier loss to the 35-year-old veteran at the 2024 Mutua Madrid Open, where she fell 3-6, 7-6, 4-6.
Both competitors experienced fluctuations in their serving during the initial set, but actual breaks were hard to come by and proved crucial when they occurred. Eala was the first to break in the third game, but Cîrstea quickly countered with a break of her own to equalize at 2-2.
Following that, the set transitioned into a series of solid holds, with lengthy baseline rallies and disciplined service games leading to a 5-5 scoreline.
The 20-year-old Filipina then elevated her return game in the 11th game, applying pressure on second serves to secure her second break of the set. Serving for the first set, she maintained her composure with her first serve and closed it out in the 12th game to take the early lead.
The most significant difference in the first set was the number of unforced errors, with Cîrstea committing 30 compared to Eala’s 19.
Eala maintained her momentum into the second set, quickly establishing a 4-0 lead with two clean breaks of Cîrstea’s serve. She controlled the play from the return, stepping inside the baseline and forcing errors from the Romanian, who found it challenging to maintain consistency in longer rallies.
Cîrstea regained her footing with a hold in the fifth game and posed a threat in the sixth, earning two break-point opportunities. However, Eala relied on her first serve and held strong to extend her lead to 5-1.
Refusing to back down, Cîrstea mounted a late comeback, breaking in the seventh game and winning three consecutive games to narrow the gap to 5-4.
As the match intensified, Eala responded with a composed service game in the 10th. She landed her first serves, controlled the rallies from the baseline, and secured the victory decisively.
A highly anticipated quarterfinal clash awaits Eala, as she faces world No. 4 Coco Gauff from the United States—a matchup between doubles partners from the 2025 Italian Open.
Source: espn.com
