Eala books semis berth in Spain tourney
Published Jul 22, 2023 03:36 am
Alex Eala outlasted another tough foe in Spaniard Lucia Cortez Llorca, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, to book a semifinal berth in the W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournament in Spain on Friday, July 21 (Saturday in Manila).
It was Eala’s third straight match that went to a decider, enduring Llorca’s persistent attacks to lock her a place into the next round of the $100,000 event. She set up a semis date with a familiar foe in third seed Jessika Ponchet of France, who also bounced back from a second-set stumble to defeat Russian Valeria Savinykh, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-0. This would be the fourth time that Eala and Ponchet would meet, with the Frenchwoman holding a 2-1 advantage in their head-to-head. Eala, however, won their last duel in the W80 Poitiers in October last year where it went into a distance, 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (6). Their previous meetings were in the second round of the W25+H Palma Del Rio and the semifinal of the W60 Vitoria-Gasteiz in July last year, where Ponchet prevailed in straight sets. Eala guns to even their matchup this time.
*Alex Eala inches closer to her fourth singles pro title. (File Photo/AFP)
*It was Eala’s third straight match that went to a decider, enduring Llorca’s persistent attacks to lock her a place into the next round of the $100,000 event. She set up a semis date with a familiar foe in third seed Jessika Ponchet of France, who also bounced back from a second-set stumble to defeat Russian Valeria Savinykh, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-0. This would be the fourth time that Eala and Ponchet would meet, with the Frenchwoman holding a 2-1 advantage in their head-to-head. Eala, however, won their last duel in the W80 Poitiers in October last year where it went into a distance, 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (6). Their previous meetings were in the second round of the W25+H Palma Del Rio and the semifinal of the W60 Vitoria-Gasteiz in July last year, where Ponchet prevailed in straight sets. Eala guns to even their matchup this time.