In the W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz tournament, Pinay tennis prodigy Alex Eala demonstrated her prowess by advancing to the semifinals after a hard-fought victory against Spanish player Lucia Cortez Llorca in the quarterfinals.
The match, which took place on Friday night, July 21 (Manila time), saw Eala prevailing with a score of 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 at the Pista Amutio outdoor hard court of Peña Vitoriana Tennis Club in Spain.
Despite a slow start, Eala bounced back from losing two consecutive games in the first set and showcased her resilience by winning six games in a row to claim the opening set.
In the second set, Llorca fought fiercely to maintain her advantage and quickly raced to a 3-0 lead, ultimately leveling the match at 1-1.
The third set witnessed an intense battle between the two players, with Eala securing the crucial first game after an extended six-deuce game. She then took control of the set, building a commanding 5-1 lead and securing the overall victory.
With this impressive win, the world’s 258th-ranked tennis player, Alex Eala, has set herself up for a semifinal showdown against the tournament’s third seed, 26-year-old Jessika Ponchet from France.
Ponchet, currently ranked 137th in the world, promises to provide a formidable challenge in their encounter scheduled for Saturday, July 22 at 5 p.m. (ai/mnm)
