After a rain delay, Alex Eala looks to complete her comeback in the Round of 16 match continuation against Varvara Lepchenko at the Guadalajara 125 Open.
After a thrilling but rain-delayed match, Alex Eala is ready to pick up where she left off—the Round of 16 clash against American Varvara Lepchenko at the Guadalajara 125 Open.
Play was suspended due to heavy rain, but Eala will resume her pursuit of victory early Friday morning, Sept. 5 (PH time), with the match slated to continue at 2:00 a.m.
She was holding a slim 3-2 lead in the deciding set when heavy rain began to pour, forcing a temporary suspension of the match.
[ALSO READ: Rain delays Alex Eala’s comeback attempt vs Varvara Lepchenko at Guadalajara Open]
The contest had already stretched over a tense two hours and 26 minutes, with both players enduring two grueling tiebreak sets, each lasting well over an hour.
After squandering a 3-0 lead in the opening set that led to her falling behind, Eala refused to back down and held serve in a crucial 12th game, forcing yet another tiebreaker.
This time, she kept her composure, claiming the tiebreak 7-3 and keeping her quarterfinal dreams alive.
A victory would send the left-handed Filipina into the quarterfinals, where she would face Italy's Nicole Fossa Huergo, who ousted seventh-seeded Katarzyna Kawa of Poland in their own Round of 32 encounter.
Eala had earlier defeated Dutch challenger Arianne Hartono 6-2, 6-2 in her tournament opener, while Lepchenko eliminated Maddison Inglis 6-4, 6-1 in their Round of 32 match.
[ALSO READ: Alex Eala makes quick work of Arianne Hartono in Guadalajara 125 Open]