Ekaterina Alexandrova reached the Abu Dhabi Open semifinals, but it didn’t come easy, with Alex Eala putting up a gallant stand towards the end of their quarterfinal match.
Ekaterina Alexandrova knew what was coming in her Abu Dhabi Open quarterfinal match Thursday, Feb. 5 (Manila time).
Just a day before, her Filipina foe, Alex Eala, came back from oblivion to eke out an epic 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) win over Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the second round.
Making sure that would not happen to her, the world No. 11 took the early lead against the 45th-ranked Eala in both sets and finished strong to secure her semifinal ticket.
“I knew she’s going to play good. She’s a great player. I saw the last match, she’s fighting ’til the end. I knew it was going to be difficult,” Alexandrova said after the match at the Stadium Court.
[RELATED STORY: Alex Eala bows to Ekaterina Alexandrova in QF, gets boot in Abu Dhabi singles]
Eala did look like she was cooking up another comeback win after putting on a splendid display in the second set.
Putting behind the first-set setback that saw her go down 1-4, which she could not recover from, the world No. 45 aimed for a different outcome this time as the Filipino crowd continued to cheer her on.
She rallied from a 1-3 deficit to draw level in the sixth game and pose a threat.
But that was when Alexandrova decided enough was enough.
Alexandrova immediately broke back, then consolidated the lead to put herself a game away from sealing the win — but needing to break Eala to do so — at 5-4.
Bent on protecting her serve to stay in the thick of battle, Eala built a 40-15 lead on a lethal forehand.
But the 20-year-old wobbled the rest of the way, slapping a forehand to the net to head to the exit door in singles.
[ALSO READ: Alex Eala, Janice Tjen through to Abu Dhabi Open doubles semis]
Though the majority of the crowd was against Alexandrova, she said she enjoyed the intense atmosphere, which one could only expect in a high-stakes match.
“I think the atmosphere was amazing today. I know the crowd is cheering for her, but I think the atmosphere is great,” Alexandrova said with a smile.
“I enjoyed my time on the court. I tried to do my best, and I’m really happy (I finished the game) in the second set, because it was really difficult in the end.”
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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.