Alex Eala eases into fourth semis of 2023 in Aldershot

Alex Eala of the Philippines advanced to her fourth semifinal of the season in the W25 Aldershot, held in Great Britain. After a grueling second-round match that lasted nearly three hours the day before, Eala delivered a commanding performance against Jenna DeFalco of the United States, securing a 6-1, 6-2 victory in just one hour and 28 minutes at the Aldershot Tennis Centre.

Eala, who currently holds the 248th spot in the WTA World rankings, got off to a flying start, racing to a 3-0 lead with a love service hold. DeFalco, ranked at 556th, managed to get on the scoreboard by holding her serve after a couple of deuces.

The 18-year-old Filipino tennis sensation continued her dominance, reaching 5-1 by overcoming a series of deuces in the fifth and sixth games. She broke DeFalco’s serve with a precise backhand, cementing her control over the first set, which she ultimately claimed at 6-1 after her opponent netted a return.

Eala’s grip on the match tightened in the second set as she maintained a 3-1 lead, fighting through a challenging third deuce. The two-time ITF titlist DeFalco, at 20 years old, found herself under increasing pressure and dropped her serve due to a long backhand, allowing Eala to advance to 4-1.

The Filipino player continued her relentless pursuit of victory, holding her serve to reach 5-1, aided by a DeFalco backhand service return error. Although DeFalco managed to hold her serve to stay in the match, trailing at 2-5, Eala quickly regained control, earning two match points in the eighth game.

DeFalco put up a fight, taking the game to deuce, but Eala clinched her third match point, securing the match at 6-2 when her opponent netted a forehand.

In the semifinals scheduled for the following day, Eala is set to face 28-year-old Katy Dunne of Great Britain, in the second match on Centre Court. Katy Dunne, currently ranked 373rd in the world and with nine titles on the ITF Women’s World Tennis Tour, offers a challenging opponent. Eala holds a 1-0 head-to-head record against Dunne, secured by a first-round comeback victory in June during the W25 Yecla tournament in Spain.

Just like Yecla, the W25 Aldershot tournament boasts a prize purse of $25,000. Eala’s impressive singles run at Aldershot began with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over British wildcard Ranah Akua Stoiber, followed by a hard-fought 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win against World No. 338, Talia Gibson of Australia.

In the doubles draw, Eala teamed up with 32-year-old Urszula Radwanska of Poland, the younger sister of former WTA World No. 2 Agnieszka Radwanska. They began their journey by defeating Andre Lukosiute of Lithuania and Eliz Maloney of Great Britain in the opening round, securing a 6-4, 6-4 win. They continued their strong performance by overcoming British No. 1 seeds Emily Appleton and Lauryn John-Baptiste in the quarterfinals, with a score of 6-3, 7-5.

Despite their impressive run, the Filipino-Polish duo fell short in the semifinals against Japanese third seeds Erina Hayashi and Saki Imamura, who ultimately became the runners-up with a 4-6, 4-6 victory.

Alex Eala’s consistent success on the tennis court continues to garner attention and applause, and her journey through the W25 Aldershot is another chapter in what promises to be a remarkable career. Her unwavering determination and impressive skill set have set her on a path to potentially reach even greater heights in the world of professional tennis.