FILIPINA tennis star Alexandra “Alex” Eala survived a hard‑fought contest against Czech opponent Tereza Valentova on Thursday, securing a 6‑4, 7‑6(7) victory to punch her ticket to the quarterfinals of the Hong Kong Tennis Open.
Eala made a blazing start, racing to a 3‑0 lead before Valentova found her rhythm and clawed back to level the set at 4‑all. The young Filipina kept her composure, however, taking the next two games to claim the opening set.
The second set proved just as dramatic, with Eala edging ahead 2‑1 early before Valentova turned the tables and moved in front 5‑3. Eala rallied to win three games in a row, forcing a tiebreak that saw both players trade momentum. Eala stormed to a 5‑0 lead in the decider, only for Valentova to chip away at the gap and eventually pull level at 7‑all. Eala kept her focus when it mattered most, taking the final two points to seal the win.
“It was really, really tough,” Eala admitted afterward. “I think Tereza played incredibly, and we were able to bring the match to a really high level — that was reflected in the score. I think I escaped by a little bit.” The victory sets up a quarterfinal clash with Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic as Eala aims to keep her strong run going in Hong Kong.
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