FILE–Alex Eala of the Philippines. (Photo by ULISES RUIZ / AFP)
MANILA, Philippines – Alex Eala moved a little closer to his first championship of the year 2025 after reaching the semifinal of the Women’s Tennis Association 125 Canberra Worldwide.
A first set loss didn’t stop Eala from asserting her dominance over Australia’s Taylah Preston with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory to break into the Ultimate 4 of the tournament on Thursday at the Canberra Tennis Centre.
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The Filipino goalkeeper had to overcome a tough loss in the first set and withstand a 1-2 start in the second set before winning five straight games to force a decider.
Eala, 19, dominated the final set and won six games in her first semifinal appearance this year.
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Eala will battle Wei Sijia of China for a spot in the last on Friday morning.
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The Rafael Nadal Academy graduate, currently world No. 147, won three straight games over WTA No. 170 Preston, including a qualifying game for the French Open last year.
The Filipino prodigy has been in mourning in Canberra when she beat Dutch Arianne Hartono, 6-3, 6-3, in the quarterfinals less than 24 hours ago.
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Eala cruised through the qualifiers, winning five straight games to move away from her first championship game this year before heading into the Australian Open qualifiers next week.
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