Rebecca Marino beats Alex Eala in Ilkley Open quarterfinals

Top-seeded Alex Eala lost to defending champion Rebecca Marino of Canada, 6-1, 6-0, 7-6 (7-4), in the Ilkley Open quarterfinals on Thursday.

Marino dominated the first set and blanked the second before a closely contested third set where both players fought for a semifinal spot.

Eala had an impressive start to the match, winning the first set 6-1 in less than 30 minutes, but Marino quickly regained control with a 6-0 victory in the second set.

In the tiebreaker of the final set, Marino managed to secure five consecutive points and ultimately won despite Eala salvaging two match points.

Ranked 107th by the WTA, Marino's experience helped her maintain composure to win the tight third set as Eala fought back from a 4-5 deficit in the deciding set.