Alex Eala stayed composed in crucial moments to prevail against veteran Sorana Cirstea in their WTA 1000 Dubai Tennis Championships Round of 16 match.
Against a seasoned foe, Alex Eala showed steely nerves early Thursday, Feb. 19 (Manila time).
The 20-year-old phenom doused a late Sorana Cirstea rally before pulling off a thrilling 7-5, 6-4 win to reach the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships quarterfinals.
“I think the key to today was staying calm and trusting my shots. I think I’m solid in particular moments where I needed to be, and that reflected in my performance and the score as well,” Eala said with a smile amid deafening cheers at Center Court.
After winning seven straight games bridging the first and second sets, Eala wobbled as the 35-year-old Romanian broke her serve, 4-1.
Smelling blood, Cirstea, who is set to retire from tennis at the end of the year, capitalized on Eala’s shaky performance and claimed three of the next four games to close in, 4-5.
But Eala was unfazed by the pressure from the newly minted Transylvania Open champion, thanks in part to her supporters.
As Eala sat on the bench before the tenth game, the Filipinos in the stands went full blast in cheering her on.
The Filipina did not disappoint the adoring crowd, even delivering a perfect game as she held at love to wrap up the match and arrange a quarterfinal meeting with world No. 4 Coco Gauff of the US.
“Super special,” Eala said.
“Every round is such a battle and filled with tension, so I’m really happy with how I performed. I’m really happy to be able to share it with all of you.”
This will mark the first time that the charismatic Eala squares off against Gauff, whom she teamed up with in Rome last year.
There, the Eala-Gauff duo reached the quarters, where they succumbed to Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini.
Eala, together with her throngs of supporters, will now recharge for what is expected to be another classic outing in Dubai.
“Mga kababayan, salamat po sa pagpupuyat. Uwi na tayo,” she said, addressing the fans.
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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.