Alex Eala stages impressive recovery against Aliaksandra Sasnovich to advance to the quarterfinals of the Abu Dhabi Open.
Alex Eala made sure that Filipino supporters were justified in staying up late to watch her compete — into the early hours of Thursday morning, Philippine time.
Indeed, the world No. 45 made it entirely worthwhile — and then some — completing an impressive comeback from a set down, and a challenging 4-0 deficit in the final set, to secure a hard-fought 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) victory over Aliaksandra Sasnovich, advancing to the quarterfinals of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open in the process.
This felt reminiscent of her remarkable comeback during her landmark 2025 US Open against 16th seed Clara Tauson, where she was trailing 5-1 in the third set.
This marks the second consecutive tournament in which the Filipina star has reached the final eight, following her achievement at home in the inaugural Philippine Women’s Open last week, where her aspirations, along with those of nearly everyone present, were dashed by a defeat to eventual champion Camila Osorio.
On Wednesday, Eala faced difficulties in breaking through Sasnovich’s serve early on, unable to secure a break as the Belarusian controlled the play from the baseline. Sasnovich’s assertiveness resulted in a significant 31-18 advantage in winners during the opening set, while Eala’s serve faltered under pressure, notably with two double faults in her third service game.
The second set began similarly, with Sasnovich striking first with an early break, but Eala quickly responded with a break of her own to regain her composure. From that point, the set settled into a pattern of routine holds.
Nevertheless, Eala found herself on the verge of breaking through, generating six break points in the 6th game and additional opportunities in the 8th, only to be denied each time.
That determination finally bore fruit in the 10th game. Serving at 5-4, Sasnovich faltered just enough for Eala to take advantage — converting the crucial break at the ideal moment to level the match and force a decisive third set.
Just as the momentum seemed to shift in Eala’s favor, Sasnovich regained control at the start of the final set, quickly racing to a commanding 4-0 lead with powerful returns and early ball-striking.
Eala managed to steady herself by holding serve to avoid a bagel, but Sasnovich continued to apply pressure and appeared ready to pull away.
Eala finally found an opportunity in the 6th game, achieving her first break of the set to reduce the deficit to 4-2 and reinvigorate the match. However, any hopes of a sustained comeback were briefly halted in the next game, as Sasnovich broke again to go ahead 5-2 and earn the chance to serve for the match.
Refusing to give in, Eala fought hard in a lengthy 8th game, saving a match point and shifting the momentum with a determined hold. From that moment, confidence surged.
The Filipina won three consecutive games to take a 6-5 lead, transforming a seemingly certain defeat into a thrilling late twist. Sasnovich ultimately stopped the run in the 12th game.
The tiebreaker turned into a back-and-forth battle, with Sasnovich gaining the first mini-break to lead 5-4. However, three consecutive points from Eala clinched the victory.
Next for Eala is the second seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the quarterfinals scheduled for Thursday evening — which, for those who stayed up for her round of 16 match, could mean witnessing their new local heroine in action twice within 24 hours.
Source: espn.com
