Alex Eala was in the midst of completing a comeback when her Guadalajara Open Round of 16 showdown with Varvara Lepchenko was halted due to rain.
Rain interrupted Alex Eala’s Round of 16 match against veteran Varvara Lepchenko at the Guadalajara 125 Open, with play suspended while the Filipina was up 3-2 in the deciding set.
Eala dropped the opening set but mounted a strong comeback in the second, erasing a 6-5 deficit before dominating the tiebreak to force a decider.
She had earlier raced to a 4-1 lead, only for Lepchenko to rally and win five of the next six games to edge ahead 6-5. Though the Filipina forced a tiebreak, she faltered late after dropping the last four points to fell behind early.
As of posting, organizers have yet to announce whether the match will resume later in the day or be rescheduled.
The winner will move on to face Italian Nicole Fossa Huergo, who stunned seventh seed Katarzyna Kawa of Poland, 6-7(2), 6-0, 6-1.
Earlier, the 20-year-old beat Arianne Hartono, 6-2, 6-2, in their Round of 32 clash. The victory also gave the Filipina tennis star a commanding 4-0 lead in their head-to-head record since their first meeting in 2023.
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