Alex Eala and French partner Estelle Cascino dug deep into their bag of tricks to stun their top-seeded rivals and capture the doubles title in the W75 Croissy-Beaubourg International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournament in France on Saturday, March 30.

The unseeded pair came through with a variety of plays and shocked Great Britain’s Maia Lumsden and hometown bet Jessika Ponchet, 7-5, 7-6 (4), to rule the $75,000 event.

It was the second ITF doubles title for Eala after winning the W50 Pune in India with Latvian partner Darja Semenistaja last January, and 23^rd doubles crown for Cascino, who is ranked No. 146 in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) doubles.

Prior to the title win, Eala and Cascino survived Swiss Celine Naef and Indian Prarthana G. Thombare in the opening round, 5-7, 6-2, 10-6, before sweeping British Emily Appleton and Dutch Isabelle Haverlag, 6-4, 6-0; and Kira Pavlova and Luxembourg’s Marie Weckerie, 6-3, 6-3.

The win somehow made up for Eala’s singles campaign, where she finished in the second round after losing to Germany’s Mona Barthel, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.

Cascino was also unsuccessful in the singles, bowing in her first qualifying round match to Elena Pridankina, 6-2, 6-2.

The victory is also expected to boost Eala’s doubles ranking where she is currently at No. 305. She went as high as No. 278 early this month.