Alex Eala got the victory in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships after Hailey Baptiste was forced to retire early in the second set due to injury.
Alex Eala and Hailey Baptiste shared a warm hug before the latter made her way out of the Aviation Tennis Club Centre while the crowd showered her with an appreciative applause.
Just a game into the second set, Baptiste was forced to retire after complaining about what appeared to be an abdominal issue.
With Baptiste unable to continue, Eala picked up the victory to advance to the next round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships early Monday, Feb. 16 (PH time).
[RELATED: Alex Eala moves on as Hailey Baptiste retires from Dubai Tennis Championships]
Despite moving on to the Round of 32, Eala couldn’t completely celebrate the win as she wished the 24-year-old American well.
“Obviously no one likes advancing in this way,” said Eala, currently ranked at a career-high no. 40 by the WTA.
“Being on tour I’m starting to discover really at this level how different it is to maintain your health physically, so I really hope Hailey is okay and will bounce back soon,” the Filipina added.
Coming off a first-round exit in the Qatar Open, Eala didn’t look like her usual early as she fell on a 1-2 hole in the first set.
But it didn’t take long before she got her bearings going, with Eala being the the first to convert a break point on the way to a 6-4 win.
Baptiste took the first game of the second set before she had to concede.
Meanwhile, Eala will move on to the next round against WTA world no. 8 Jasmine Paolini.
“I’m sure happy to be in the next round. These tournaments are such great experience for me, especially playing in fornt of the best crowd ever,” Eala said.
“I’m really doing my best to try to enjoy every moment I have on court.”
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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.