WHILE maturity won it for Jessica Pegula against Alex Eala, fatigue was no joke for the 31-year-old American.
After officially securing her spot in the finals of the WTA 1000 Miami Open, Pegula admitted she was exhausted from the two-hour and 26-minute battle, with scores of 6(3)-7, 7-5, 3-6 against the 19-year-old Filipino.
READ: Alex Eala still impressive even as dream run ends in Miami Open semis
“I’m tired. I’m really tired. She’s really good and competes really well. That was really tough,” Pegula said of Eala after the match.
Having played several days in a row, Pegula even wrote “I’m tired” on the camera lens during the post-win celebrations at Hard Rock Stadium in Florida.
Alex, the fan favorite
Eala, despite showing signs of fatigue as well, was all smiles, waving to the huge Filipino crowd present in her match. Eala chants were heard all over the stadium, even though it was Pegula’s home court.
This run marks a historic achievement for Philippine tennis, as it is the first time a Filipino made it this far in a tournament of this level and won against some of the world’s top players.
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