BESTING a former tormentor. Locking her down. Making a statement.
Alex Eala stormed into the semifinals of the WTA 250 ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand after finally getting the better of Poland’s Magda Linette, 6-3, 6-2, on Friday morning, Manila time.
The 20-year-old Filipina finally cracked the Linette code in just an hour and 37 minutes of play.
She had dropped their first two meetings in Nottingham in 2025 on grass and Abu Dhabi in 2024 on hard court. This time, Eala flipped the script and dictated play from the opening games.
Deadlocked at 2-2 in the first set, Eala broke free by winning three straight games. Linette pulled one back, but the Filipina closed the set at 6-3.
With momentum carrying over in the following set, Eala sprinted to a 4-0 lead, as Linette, ranked No. 52 and once as high as No. 19, struggled to find answers.
Two games was all the Polish star could manage before the Philippines' tennis sensation sealed the deal.
Ranked 53rd in the world, Eala moves on to face China’s Xinyu Wang, WTA No. 57, in the semifinals with a finals berth on the line.
READ: 'Warrior princess' Alex Eala winning matches as well as new fans
The run to the final four includes victories over Donna Vekic in the opener and Petra Marcinko in the round of 16.
Later in the day, Eala returns to court in doubles, partnering Iva Jovic in the semifinals against third-seeded Chinese duo Zhaoxuan Yang and Yifan Xu at 2:10 p.m.
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