Alex Eala earned sweet revenge against Magda Linette with a straight-set win to reach the ASB Classic semifinals, keeping her deep run in Auckland alive in both singles and doubles.
Third time's the charm for Alex Eala.
The Filipina tennis ace finally solved the Magda Linette puzzle, dispatching the Polish veteran, 6-3, 6-2, to book a spot in the semifinals of the ASB Classic on Friday, January 9, in Auckland, New Zealand.
After losing the first two meetings with Linette earlier in her career, Eala delivered a composed and clinical performance, controlling the tempo from the baseline and capitalizing on key moments to secure a huge victory.
Eala took command early in the opening set, breaking serve and never looking back en route to a 6-3 win.
The second set followed a similar script, with the 20-year-old breaking free from a brief exchange of holds to build a commanding lead. From 2-0 up, Eala stretched the advantage to 4-1, weathered a short pushback, and closed out the match at 6-2 with authority.
With the victory, Eala moves into the semifinals, where she will face seventh seed Wang Xin on Saturday, continuing a breakthrough run at the WTA 250 event.
The Filipina tennis ace finally solved the Magda Linette puzzle, dispatching the Polish veteran, 6-3, 6-2, to book a spot in the semifinals of the ASB Classic on Friday, January 9, in Auckland, New Zealand.
After losing the first two meetings with Linette earlier in her career, Eala delivered a composed and clinical performance, controlling the tempo from the baseline and capitalizing on key moments to secure a huge victory.
Eala took command early in the opening set, breaking serve and never looking back en route to a 6-3 win.
The second set followed a similar script, with the 20-year-old breaking free from a brief exchange of holds to build a commanding lead. From 2-0 up, Eala stretched the advantage to 4-1, weathered a short pushback, and closed out the match at 6-2 with authority.
With the victory, Eala moves into the semifinals, where she will face seventh seed Wang Xin on Saturday, continuing a breakthrough run at the WTA 250 event.
Eala’s busy Auckland campaign is far from over. Later in the day, she returns to court in the women’s doubles semifinals alongside Iva Jovic, where the duo will take on the third-seeded Chinese tandem of Xu Yifan and Yang Zhaoxuan.
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Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.