Tennis: Alex Eala ousts Varvara Gracheva, marches to Eastbourne Open finals

Filipina tennis star Alex Eala advanced to the finals of the Eastbourne Open by defeating Varvara Gracheva of France, 7-6 2-6 6-3, on Friday.  Owen Hammond /WTA 

(3rd UPDATE) Alex Eala became the first Filipina tennis player in history to reach a WTA final after battling past Varvara Gracheva, 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, in a grueling semifinal clash at the Lexus Eastbourne Open.

The 20-year-old Eala showed grit and composure as she overcame a second-set dip and a tough challenge from the Frenchwoman, who had once reached as high as No. 39 in the world.

Eala initially took a 2-1 lead in the opening set before Gracheva mounted a rally to seize a 4-5 advantage. The Filpina ace made adjustments and pocketed the first set, 7-5.

The second set saw the two locked in a 2-2 deadlock before Gracheva upped the ante to secure a 2-4 advantage before eventually taking the set 2-6. 

Eala, who climbed to world No. 56 after the match, opened the third stanza with a 2-3 lead, until Gracheva caught up again and leveled the scores 3-3. But Eala maintained her composure and gained the upper hand to relaim the advantage, 5-3.

Prior the semis, the 20-year-old Eala won five consecutive matches in Eastbourne, including the two she won in the qualifying rounds against Zeynep Sonmez and Hailey Baptiste.

Eala then proceeded to take down Lucia Bronzetti in straight sets, 6-0, 6-1, in the opening round of the main draw before  former Grand Slam champion Jelea Ostapenko via walkover in the second round, 0-6, 6-2, 3-2. 

She eventually reached the semis via a dominant 6-1, 6-2 victory over world no. 42 Dayana Yastremska in the quarterfinals. 

It is her longest winning run since the Miami Open where she slew three former Grand Slam champions in Ostapenko, Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek.

Eala will face Australian teen Maya Joint in the final set Saturday, June 28. 

HARD-FOUGHT WIN

Eala's hard-fought win over Gracheva marked her biggest career breakthrough on the professional tour to date.

“No, I'm like super, super happy because like it was a tough match,” Eala said after the match. “There were really tough moments where she was playing well and like sometimes couldn't, you know, didn’t know like how to get out of it. So, yeah, I'm really happy with, you know, winning.”

Eala and Gracheva had met just two weeks ago in the first round of Nottingham qualifiers, where Eala also prevailed in three sets. 

“Yeah, it was a challenge for both of us physically and mentally,” Eala added. “You know, we both came from qualis and, you know, she’s a really solid player. And had some moments where she was really dominating. So, you know, the fact that I was able to stay there and wait for my opportunity is a big achievement for me today.”

After her victory, Eala in a WTA interview she felt “overwhelmed with emotions.”

“Happiness, hunger, tiredness… there’s so many things going on in my head, just primarily trying to enjoy the win,” she said.

While her previous win over Gracheva gave her some reassurance, Eala stressed that every match brings new challenges.

“It gave me a bit of stability,” she explained. “Last week was in the first round qualis and now the semifinals—it’s a different story each with their own challenges. And it was just as tough as the last time.”

Asked about her mindset heading into the title match, Eala shared: “I think just focusing on myself. Whoever wins the semis today is going to be a great player. Both of them have a lot of experience and a lot of skill, obviously.”

RELATED VIDEOS: