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Alex Eala sends erstwhile red-hot Sorana Cirstea crashing again to earth as she arranges a final eight date with two-time Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff within the Dubai Tennis Championships
MANILA, Philippines – Alex Eala will get a crack at beating one other Grand Slam champion with a ultimate 4 berth within the Dubai Tennis Championships at stake.
Eala organized a quarterfinal date with two-time main winner Coco Gauff of the USA after an impressed 7-5, 6-4 win over Romania’s Sorana Cirstea within the spherical of 16 on Wednesday, February 18 (Thursday, February 19, Manila time).
It marked solely the second time the 20-year-old Filipina made so far as the final eight of a WTA 1000 match, which sits slightly below the 4 Grand Slam occasions in stature.
However it is going to be a tall order beating Gauff, a French Open and US Open titlist who at present ranks No. 4 on the planet and owns a 9-3 win-loss document this 2026.
Eala and Gauff are not any strangers to one another, the 2 teaming up for doubles play within the Italian Open final 12 months.
“I believe I’m in a superb path. I believe if I proceed like this, the following match will likely be nice. I’m wanting ahead to it. Coco is such a tremendous individual and we are likely to neglect that she’s only a 12 months older than me however she’s an ideal position mannequin for therefore many. So I’m actually excited for that match,” mentioned Eala.
To arrange her first-ever conflict with Gauff, Eala wanted to squeak previous a red-hot Cirstea who had simply dominated the WTA 250 Transylvania Open in her native nation lower than two weeks in the past.
The world No. 32 Romanian, who had gained all of her final seven matches with out dropping a set, moved on the cusp of nailing the opening body at 5-4 earlier than Eala turned the tides by profitable the entire subsequent three video games.
She pulled degree at 5-5, broke Cirstea within the subsequent recreation to grab the higher hand, then held serve once more to steal the primary set.
Eala gained seven straight video games in complete as she raced to a commanding 4-0 lead within the second set — a margin that proved adequate sufficient to stave off a last-ditch comeback by Cirstea, who acquired inside 4-5 to maintain the partisan Filipino crowd on the Aviation Membership Tennis Centre on the sting of their seats.
However three consecutive errors by Cirstea opened up match level for Eala, who took benefit and wrapped up the match in 1 hour and 38 minutes with a forehand winner.
“I believe the important thing to as we speak was staying calm and trusting my photographs. I believe I used to be very stable specifically moments the place I wanted to be. That mirrored in my efficiency and within the rating, I suppose,” mentioned Eala.
Whereas Gauff poses an enormous problem, Eala has had success towards Grand Slam champions prior to now.
Eala beat main winners Iga Swiatek of Poland, Madison Keys of the USA, and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia within the Miami Open final 12 months en path to the semifinals — the one different time she made a minimum of the quarterfinals of a WTA 1000 match.
The Eala-Gauff duel is scheduled at 11 pm on Thursday (Manila time). – Rappler.com
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