Post by : Bianca
Haleem
Alex Eala produced a dramatic comeback to reach the Quarter-finals of the WTA 500 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open on Wednesday night, defeating Aliaksandra Sasnovich in a thrilling three-set battle.
The 20-year-old Filipina star fought back from four games down in the final set and also saved a match point before sealing the win in a tense final-set tie-break.
After splitting the first two sets, Eala looked close to elimination when she fell behind 4–0 in the deciding set. Sasnovich later moved ahead to 5–2 and was just one point away from winning the match. However, Eala refused to give up, won crucial games, and pushed the match into a tie-break, where she finally completed the comeback.
Speaking after the match, Eala admitted it was one of the toughest matches she has played.
“With a little bit of luck it went my way,” Eala said. “Sasnovich played a really good game so I’m happy with how I stayed in the fight. These matches can go either way so I’m very happy to come out on top.”
She added that saving match point made the victory even more special.
“I was down match point and there was a lot of points where I could have given up and that’s what makes this win a lot more special,” she said.
Eala also explained how she managed to stay calm during the most difficult moments of the match.
“It was tough at 5-2, she had a lot of momentum,” she said. “I just had to take it point-by-point and feed into the energy from the stadium to help me push through.”
After winning, Eala was seen emotional on court and shared a moment with her parents in the crowd. She said the intense atmosphere and pressure during the match made it hard to hold back emotions.
“Those types of matches take so much out of you,” Eala stated. “There was a lot of tension on that court and that was amplified by the super loud atmosphere.”
“Having to stay extremely focused during the game means after match point you can finally release all the tension you have held in and that’s what happened to me out there,” she added.
Eala also praised the support she received in Abu Dhabi, especially from the Filipino community in the UAE, saying the atmosphere helped push her through difficult moments.
“The atmosphere in Abu Dhabi is incredible,” she said. “There’s also a lot of fans who are here as well so it’s a great feeling that their support for me brings the Filipino community together.”
With this win, Alex Eala moves into the Quarter-finals of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, continuing her strong run at the WTA 500 tournament.
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