ANOTHER champion, another addition in Alexandra “Alex” Eala’s 2026 kill list.
In less than 24 hours apart, Ms. Eala dethroned Washington titleholder Leylah Fernandez of Canada with a comeback for the ages on the heels of beating Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen of China for a roaring introduction in the hard-court swing.
Up against a fancied rival with Filipino roots, the 21-year-old Pinay ace rose from the ashes by erasing a 1-5 deficit in the second set to complete the sweep and barge into the quarterfinals of the WTA 500 Mubadala DC Open on Thursday at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center.
Ms. Eala, WTA No. 28, will have a well-deserved day off before plunging back to action on Saturday for a seat in the Final Four against either world No. 10 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine or No. 108 Polina Kudermetova of Uzbekistan, who are to play their Round of 16 duel on Friday.
If Ms. Eala showcased her experience in slaying Paris gold winner Ms. Qinwen, it’s patience who pushed her over the hump against WTA No. 34 Ms. Fernandez, who was on the verge of forcing a decider and keeping Ms. Eala’s mastery with a five-game lead in the second set.
“I think patience was key there. I was just trying to work it out and have a strong mentality in terms of trying to find solutions,” said Ms. Eala, who unleashed a 6-1 bomb on Ms. Fernandez to wrap it up after a dominant 6-2 opener.
Ms. Eala vowed to Ms. Fernandez, 23, in their first encounter, a 6-1, 6-4 defeat at the clay courts of Stuttgart in Germany. Not this time around though as Ms. Eala punctuated her staggering closeout with a 7-1 runaway in the tiebreaker after Ms. Fernandez, whose mother is a Filipina-Canadian, stopped the bleeding at 6-6 to extend the match.
Ms. Fernandez, also the No. 7 seed, was the first fellow lefty player Ms. Eala has beaten in the WTA tour ever, according to the Tennis Channel, as the graduate of the Rafael Nadal Acedamy improved to 32-18 overall record this season leading up to the US Open on Aug. 30 to Sept. 13 in Flushing Meadows, New York.
For Ms. Eala, it’s a display once more of the Filipino never-say-die mantra, especially not too long ago since she also unseated Wimbledon queen Iga Swiatek of Poland as part of her magical Round of 16 finish in London earlier this month.
“I think it’s just part of my character but then again, every single player here is a fighter. We’re here because we’re all fighters you can never count anybody out,” she beamed, looking good in her first hardcourt tourney before ramping up her US preps in the National Bank Open in Toronto and the Cincinnati Open next month.
“I definitely had some tough moments in that match and credit to Leylah. She put me in some really tough positions, so I think I’m super proud of how I fought and how I stayed there.”
But first things first for Ms. Eala with the ultimate focus on resting and re-energizing for a run at the Final Four of the 500-level tourney as she seeks a third career title after last winning in Birmingham as part of her stellar grass campaign.
“I’m ready if I need to play right away but it’s nice to have a day off,” she smiled. — John Bryan Ulanday