Alex Eala dug deep in surviving German qualifier Silvia Ambrosio, 7-6 (3), 1-6, 6-3, to barge into the quarterfinals of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) W15 Manacor in Spain early Friday.
The 15-year-old PH junior bet endured a close opening-frame duel and recovered from a second-set stumble to best Ambrosio in two hours and 48 minutes.
The victory not only inched her closer to a second pro title but also set up a quarters date with Russian Oksana Selekhmeteva, a 6-4, 7-5 winner over wildcard bet Olga Helmi of Denmark.
Interestingly, the 18-year-old Selekhmeteva is a fellow junior reserve in this $15,000 tournament with a current Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) ranking of No. 611 compared to Eala’s No. 942.
Both are left-handed.
Against Ambrosio, Eala rose from a 5-3 deficit before claiming the first set.
She lost her bearings in the second frame, only holding her serve once in the sixth game.
But the Filipina ace returned rejuvenated in the deciding frame, cruising to a 4-0 lead and keeping her tempo despite Ambrosio’s late attempts.