Just when most thought she was going to get the boot in the Round of 16, Alex Eala dug deep to march on to the quarterfinals of the Abu Dhabi Open.
Alex Eala was beaming with joy and pride pulling off an incredible come-from-behind win over Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the Abu Dhabi Open Round of 16 early Thursday, February 5 (Manila time).
Eala first recovered from a set down, then later overhauled a 0-4 deficit in the final frame to hack out a 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) dub that catapulted her to the quarterfinals.
Just as delighted were the screaming Filipino fans, off of them the Filipina star actually fed the energy to crawl back from what initially appeared to be an insurmountable hole.
“I just think these (are the moments) I have only dreamed about. Selling out stadium is insane,” said Eala after the match.
To say that she was over the moon was an understatement.
“These matches in particular are just really the ones that kind of stuck with you, and I’ve had a lot of them in the past year so I’m really happy with this win,” she said.
But it only gets tougher from here.
Awaiting Eala in the quarterfinals is Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Ranked No. 11 by the WTA, Alexandrova boasts of five singles titles and a wealth of experience in Grand Slams she has amassed since 2016.
The two square off at 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 5, two hours before her scheduled doubles game with Janice Tjen.
The Eala-Tjen tandem will face Zhang Shuai and Cristina Bucsa in the doubles quarterfinals at 11:00 p.m.
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Like most sportswriters, Jan Ballesteros once dreamed of becoming a professional hooper. But he learned the hard way that it’s not for everyone.
He continues to be involved in the sport he loves, but this time as a member of the PBA Press Corps. Aside from primarily covering the PBA, he is also assigned to cover Gilas Pilipinas.