THE Philippines’ Alex Eala is looking forward to face the United States’ world No. 3 Coco Gauff in the quarterfinal of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Eala sustained her hot streak by defeating Romania’s Sorana Cirstea, 7-5, 6-4, on Wednesday night.
The blockbuster quarterfinal showdown with Gauff excites Eala, whose Dubai run could gain more WTA ranking points after dropping to No. 47 this week.
“Coco is such a good person, we tend to forget she’s just a year older than me,” Eala said about Gauff, whom she described as a “good role model.”
It will be the first-ever meeting between Eala and Gauff, also the No. 3 seed, in the WTA Tour. Eala will also attempt to improve her career record against Top 10 players to 4-2 all-time.
Last year, Eala and Gauff were double partners at the Italian Open.
“Yeah, I think it’s a great opportunity for me [to play Gauff. Win or lose tomorrow, I think it’s great for me to learn,” Eala added during the post-match press conference.
“Obviously, facing a player like Coco is something that people, like, would kill to do. In a quarterfinal here in Dubai, as well. So I’m super excited for that,” the newly-minted Philippine Sportswriters Association co-Athlete of the Year added.
Gauff fought off three match points and converted seven of 10 break points to beat Belgium’s Elise Mertens, 2-6, 7-6(9), 6-3.
Eala has shown maturity in her game against Cirstea, and of course, the support given to her by the Filipino community.
“I think the key to today was staying calm and trusting my shots. I was solid in particular moments where I needed to be and that reflected in my performance and the score,” Eala said.
“The wages of support have really made every single match all the more special. It’s so difficult to describe the emotions and actual experience of playing in front of this crowd. I’m really thankful to be here,” she added.
Eala’s serving keyed the win against Cirstea, which is crucial when she faces a high caliber in Gauff.
Capable of maintaining her consistency, Eala made 69 percent of her first serves, winning 67 percent of those points. She also won, remarkably, 74 percent of her second-serve points.
Eala earlier stunned eighth-ranked Jasmine Paolini of Italy, 6-1, 7-6 (5).
Australian Open champion and top seed Elena Rybakina, in Eala’s pathway, retired early in the third set, sending lucky loser Antonia Ruzic of Croatia through to her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal.
No. 2 seed Amanda Anisimova needed only 70 minutes to complete a 6-1, 6-3 win over Indonesia’s Janice Tjen.
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