Alex Eala ensured that Filipino fans were not wrong to stay up late to watch her into action — into the wee hours of Thursday morning, Philippine time.
In fact, the world No. 45 made it every bit worth their while — and then some — completing a stirring fightback from a set down, and a daunting 4-0 deficit in the decider, to claim a hard-fought 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) victory over Aliaksandra Sasnovich and make it to the quarterfinals of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open in the process.
It felt like a repeat of her impressive comeback in her landmark 2025 US Open against 16th seed Clara Tauson, where she was down 5-1 in the third set.
This is now the second straight tournament that the Filipina sensation has made the final eight, after she reached the same stage on home soil at the inaugural Philippine Women’s Open last week before her dreams, as well as those of almost everyone in attendance, were crushed by a loss to eventual champion Camila Osorio.
On Wednesday, Eala struggled to make inroads on Sasnovich’s delivery early, failing to earn a break as the Belarusian dictated play from the baseline. Sasnovich’s aggression translated to a lopsided 31-18 edge in winners in the opening set, while Eala’s own serve wavered under pressure, highlighted by two double faults in her third service game.
The second set opened in similar fashion with Sasnovich striking first via an early break, but Eala responded immediately with a break of her own to steady herself. From there, the set settled into a rhythm of routine holds.
Still, Eala found herself knocking on the door, generating six break points in the 6th game and additional chances in the 8th, only to be turned away each time.
That persistence finally paid off in the 10th game. Serving at 5-4, Sasnovich faltered just enough for Eala to capitalize — converting the crucial break at the perfect moment to level the match and force a deciding third set.
Just as the momentum appeared to be tilting Eala’s way, Sasnovich reasserted control at the start of the decider, racing out to a commanding 4-0 lead behind heavy returns and early ball-striking.
Eala briefly steadied herself by holding serve to avoid the bagel, but Sasnovich continued to apply pressure and looked poised to pull away.
Eala finally found an opening in the 6th game, securing her first break of the set to cut the deficit to 4-2 and inject life back into the contest. Any hopes of a sustained comeback were momentarily checked in the following game, though, as Sasnovich broke again to move ahead 5-2 and earn the chance to serve for the match.
Refusing to fold, Eala dug deep in an extended 8th game, saving a match point and swinging the momentum with a gritty hold. From there, belief took over.
The Filipina reeled off three straight games to surge ahead 6-5, turning a near-certain defeat into a dramatic late cliffhanger. Sasnovich ultimately halted the run in the 12th game.
The tiebreaker became a seesawing affair, with Sasnovich having the first mini-break to gain a 5-4 lead. But three straight points for Eala sealed the deal to take the victory.
Up next for Eala is the second seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the quarterfinals slated for Thursday evening — which, for those that had stayed up for her round of 16 tie, could mean seeing their new local heroine in action twice within 24 hours.
