Alex Eala saves day for home contingent with stellar PH Women’s Open win

MANILA, Philippines – On a day her two compatriots crashed out of contention, Alex Eala carried the fight for the Philippines in her home event.

Eala advanced to the round of 16 of the inaugural Philippine Women’s Open after seeing off Alina Charaeva, 6-1, 6-2, at the newly refurbished Rizal Memorial Tennis Center on Monday, January 26.

The world No. 49 Filipina breezed past Charaeva in the opening set then overcame a nervy second set that saw her make use of a medical timeout as she got back on track following a first-round exit from the Australian Open.

Energized by supportive Filipino fans who packed the 2,000-seater center court, Eala fought back from a 0-2 deficit in the second set by winning all of the next six games to give the world No. 163 Russian the boot.

Charaeva remained within striking distance in the second set, trailing 2-4, only to get broken in the seventh game, where Eala saved three break points then pushed her lead to 5-2 with a forehand winner.

Eala then blanked Charaeva in the ensuing game to arrange a date with the winner between Himeno Sakatsume and Nao Hibino, who both hail from Japan, on Wednesday, January 28.

The win allowed Eala to get a redemption of sorts for fellow Filipinas Elizabeth Abarquez and Tennielle Madis, who dropped their first-round matches earlier in the day.

Abarquez absorbed a 6-0, 6-0 beating from Japan’s Mai Hontama, while Madis fell to Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew in a 6-4, 6-0 defeat.

After her breakthrough main draw appearance in the Australian Open ended swiftly following a three-set loss to American Alycia Parks, Eala is back home with hopes of ruling the Philippines’ first-ever hosting of a WTA 125 event.

Eala is no stranger to winning a WTA 125 title, having broken through in the Guadalajara Open in Mexico last September. – Rappler.com