Alex Eala reaches first WTA final at Eastbourne Open
Filipina tennis player Alex Eala advanced to her first WTA Tour final at the Eastbourne Open after defeating Varvara Gracheva with a score of 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 on Friday.
Eala's victory marks a career milestone as she becomes the first Filipina to reach a WTA Tour final and climbs to world No. 56 in the rankings.
The 20-year-old outlasted Gracheva in a two-hour and twenty-two-minute battle, showing composure and resilience despite facing tough moments in the second set.
Eala will face Australian teen Maya Joint in the final match on Saturday, continuing her dominant run that includes wins over Zeynep Sonmez, Hailey Baptiste, Lucia Bronzetti, Jeļena Ostapenko, and Dayana Yastremska.
Joint, currently ranked No. 51, is coming off a semifinal victory against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova with a score of 7-5, 6-3.
Win or lose, this Eastbourne Open campaign is Eala's best output in the WTA Tour after her semifinal run in the 2025 Miami Open.
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