At A Glance
- Alex Eala and Ukrainian Nadiia Kichenok used much of their strength to dispatch Russia's Polina Kudermetova and Kamilla Rakhimova, 6-3, 7-5, and advance to the semifinal round of the Guangzhou Open in China Friday, Oct. 24.
Alex Eala (WTA/File)
Alex Eala and Ukrainian Nadiia Kichenok used much of their strength to dispatch Russia’s Polina Kudermetova and Kamilla Rakhimova, 6-3, 7-5, and advance to the semifinal round of the Guangzhou Open in China Friday, Oct. 24.
After a spectacular first-set display, the 20-year-old Eala and Kichenok lost grip of the momentum but recovered just in time in the second frame after securing the next three games to frustrate the Russians who went out blasting to take a 5-4 lead.
With their hard-earned triumph, the current World No. 53 might face a familiar foe against Indonesia’s Janice Tjen and Poland’s Katarzyna Piter in the semis of the WTA 250 event.
The Filipina lefty and Tjen figured in the quarters of the Sao Paulo Open in Brazil where the latter hammered out a 6-4, 6-1 victory before eventually falling short in the final to France’s Tiantsoa Sarah Rakotomanga Rajaonah, 3-6, 4-6.
Tjen and Piter are currently plunging into a quarters duel against American Quinn Gleason and Russian Elena Pridankina.
Other semis pairing features the clash of Hong Kong’s Eudice Chong and Taipei’s Liang En-Shuo against Dutch Isabelle Haverlag and British Maia Lumsden.
Prior to their semis entry, Eala and Kichenok breezed past China’s Tang Qianhui and Brit Emily Appleton, 6-4, 6-2.
The country’s top netter is redeeming herself after a couple of early exits, including her most recent in Guangzhou.