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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Alex Eala stuns world No. 8 Paolini, forges rematch vs Cirstea in WTA 1000 Dubai

Alex Eala stuns world No. 8 Paolini, forges rematch vs Cirstea in WTA 1000 Dubai

Published Feb 18, 2026 02:28 am

At A Glance

  • Alex Eala displayed steely nerves against the feisty world No. 8 Italian Jasmine Paolini in the second set and hacked out a hard-fought 6-1, 7-6 (7) win to book her ticket in Round of 16 of the WTA 1000 Dubai Tennis Championships in the United Arab Emirates Wednesday morning, Feb. 18 (Philippine time).
(Alex Eala IG post)
(Alex Eala IG post)
Alex Eala displayed steely nerves against the feisty world No. 8 Italian Jasmine Paolini in the second set and hacked out a hard-fought 6-1, 7-6 (7) win to book her ticket in Round of 16 of the WTA 1000 Dubai Tennis Championships in the United Arab Emirates Wednesday morning, Feb. 18 (Philippine time).
After squandering a 5-3 lead then fell behind 5-6 for a heart-stopping moment in the second set, the 20-year-old Eala, energized by Filipino fans who almost filled all the seats of the center court, bounced back at the perfect time.
In the tiebreak, she delivered a masterclass showing, saving two set points with her strong hits to deny the much-experienced 30-year-old Paolini a chance of forcing a decider and close out the nerve-wracking match that lasted for one hour and 40 minutes.
And for Eala, the victory was far from easy as she needed to dig deep and a fuel of support from her compatriots to outlast an inspired Paolini, the 2024 champion who was trying to get a boost from her own team, including her French Open doubles co-champion Italian Sara Errani.
“All the emotions are coming, the tension is so high, especially in the second set…In the tiebreak, I was trying everything to keep myself in check and in the changing events,” said Eala.
“I was thinking, this stadium is full of Filipinos, tapos sabi ko ilan kaya sa inyo ‘yong nagdadasal para sakin,” she added. “So I have to give everything I got.”
It marked No. 47 Eala’s biggest victory of the year so far as Paolini is currently within the Top 10 in the global rankings – her third overall after she also bested No. 2 Polish Iga Swiatek and then No. 5 (currently No. 17) American Madison Keys in the 2025 Miami Open.
The victory set her up a rematch against No. 32 Sorana Cirstea of Romania in the Round of 16, after the latter stunned No. 14 Linda Noskova 6-1, 6-4. The two had previously met nearly two years ago in the second round of the WTA 1000 Madrid Open, where Cirstea edged Eala in a tight three-set battle, 3-6, 7-6, 6-4.
Eala also tipped her hat to her team which reminded her to stay composed under heavy pressure.
“It’s kinda hard to hear them here, but I think they are trying to keep me calm and remind me that I was doing well and I was at a good level, so there’s nothing to change drastically,” Eala continued.
It was smooth sailing for Eala in the opening set, breaking a 1-1 deadlock by collecting the next five games in dominant fashion. However, the momentum shifted quickly as Paolini, a two-time Grand Slam finalist, grabbed the early 1-0 edge in the second set before the SEA Games champion clawed her way back to build 3-1 and 5-3 leads.
Eala looked poised to close out the clash, but Paolini refused to wave the white flag. The Italian regained control after she outdueled the Filipina bet in a series of gripping rallies and deuces, particularly in the ninth as well as in the 10th, and 11th games, to seize a 6-5 edge.
At that point, it was Eala’s moment. She forced a tiebreak and ensured there would be no resurgence from Paolini, creating a 6-4 cushion that ultimately sealed the win.

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