Alexandra Eala booked her place in the quarter-finals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, with the Filipina star set to face world No 4 Coco Gauff next.
Eala, 20, saw off Romanian veteran Sorana Cirstea 7-5, 6-4 in her evening match on Wednesday. The world No 47 – the highest-ranked Filipina in WTA Tour history – showed a quiet confidence from the first game to slowly grind down her opponent and reach the quarter-finals of a 1000 tournament for the second time in her fledgling career.
A feature of this tournament has been the support of her compatriots, with Dubai home to a huge Filipino community.
Eala said being cheered on by a passionate crowd on Centre Court helped her in the clutch moments against Cirstea, but that her own determination to succeed was also a major factor.
“Obviously their support means a lot to me,” she said. “It definitely motivated me in the tight moments and makes the emotions more intense when I win, but I wouldn't attribute all of it to them. Whether they’re there or not, I'm going to fight until the end and do what I can to win.
“I've not always been a competitor who's been put in night sessions on Centre Court. I've been playing tennis for many years and I'm also used to playing in front of no crowds.
"I'm still in the earlier phase of my career, so I'm doing my best to enjoy and I hope the feeling is reciprocated by the crowd. It just creates an amazing atmosphere.”
With the first set going with serve through 10 games, Eala finally grabbed the break she needed to take a 6-5 lead before consolidating. In the second set, such was Eala’s early dominance and the noise it generated among the partisan crowd that it almost felt cruel on Cirstea.
Every winner from Eala, every unforced error from the Romanian, and every break in play, was filled with ear-splitting cheers, catchy chants, and the waving of flags, posters, and hand-made signs – including one that read “Alex, please marry my son”.
The umpire certainly had his work cut out, stepping in repeatedly to remind the fans that silence is required during play.
When Eala closed out the win, smiling widely before eventually letting out a guttural roar in the middle of the court, she turned her focus to Thursday and a showdown with two-time Grand Slam champion Gauff.
“Win or lose, it's a great opportunity for me to learn. Obviously facing a player like Coco is something that people would kill to do – and in a quarter-final here in Dubai as well, so I'm super excited,” she said.
Gauff had to dig deep to secure her place in the last eight after an error-strewn win overs Elise Mertens.
The American, 21, hit 16 double-faults and was forced to save three second-set match points as she fought back against Mertens, eventually taking the match 2-6, 7-6, 6-3.
“I'm trying to be positive,” Gauff said. “I'm critical. I feel like ... I don't know. It's weird. I feel like the last tournament I took some steps forward, and today I took some steps backwards, but still got the win. It’s a weird feeling. I feel conflicted. It wasn't the prettiest, but I'm also happy. I could have easily lost.
Gauff had started erratically, losing two of her first three service games and looking well-beaten as she slumped to a first-set loss within 33 minutes.
She started the second set where she left off in the first, gifting her opponent an early break. But then came a glimmer of hope as she broke back. In doing so, she regained a little control and it was then the turn of Mertens to fire off a series of unforced errors.
The 21-year-old soon found herself 5-3 up and serving to tie the set, but once more faltered, double-faulting and failing to hold to allow her opponent a route back into the set and push it towards a tiebreak.
What followed was a showcase of ugly tennis and erratic, wild serving. Gauff saved three match points before getting lucky when she clipped the cord with a backhand. Apologising with a raised hand, she took the lead and closed out the tiebreak 11-9 to force a deciding set.
“I don’t even remember the last time I saved match points, probably when I was 15, so I’m really happy to get through today – it was a long one,” Gauff said.
With the third set confirmed, she grabbed the opportunity, securing the vital break at 4-3, before immediately consolidating to progress.
“I feel like it's almost easier to play when you’re down than when you have the match in your hands,” Gauff added.
“I just wanted to give myself the chance today. I feel like my last two matches – in Doha and the Australian Open – I didn't feel like I fought enough for the second sets. This match, when I lost the first set, I really wanted to fight for that second and give myself the opportunity to compete in the third.”
