Filipino tennis star Alex Eala fought back from 2-5 down in the second set to book her quarterfinals ticket in Birmingham.
Eala defeated Russia’s Alina Charaeva 6-2, 7-5 in a match that swung both ways before the Filipino star closed it out.
The first set was all Eala as she broke straight away with Charaeva double-faulting twice in the very first game to go up 1-0.
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Charaeva finally got on the scoreboard to make it 1-4, but Eala stayed solid on serve and kept the pressure on, eventually converting on her fifth set point to take the opener 6-2.
The second set was a completely different match.
Charaeva came out with a clearer game plan, leaning heavily on slice variety, drop shots, and more forceful groundstrokes to disrupt Eala’s rhythm.
She held serve to open the set, then built on it, eventually pulling away to lead 5-2.
Grass was playing a big role too. Balls were skidding and bouncing low off the surface, moving fast and leaving little time to react.
Eala responded by staying low and light on her feet, keeping her energy up and refusing to let the conditions or the scoreline get to her.
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Then came the comeback with Eala winning two straight games to close to 4-5, then kept the momentum going to reel off the last five games and seal the second set 7-5.
Up next for Eala is Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew, ranked WTA No. 173 in the quarterfinals.