September 7, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala simply gained one other shot at successful her first WTA title.
In a dominant show, Eala drubbed American Kayla Day, 6-2, 6-3, to march on to the finale of the WTA125 Guadalajara Open yesterday on the Panamerican Tennis Middle in Zapopan, Mexico.
Eala, the No. 2 seed and WTA No. 75, received six straight video games within the first set to overturn a 0-2 deficit earlier than successful 4 of the final 5 video games from a 2-all impasse within the second to finish a sweeping semifinal victory over the No. 418 Day.
It’s the second WTA ultimate for Eala after a foiled try on the Eastbourne Open with hopes of lastly breaking by way of in opposition to a well-known opponent in Panna Udvardy, WTA No. 134, of Hungary.
General, it’s the fourth straight win for Eala in Mexico, serving as her primer for the more durable WTA250 Sao Paulo Open in Brazil subsequent week, in a stellar marketing campaign thus far that included back-to-back wins inside hours Friday.
After a 6-2, 6-2 trashing of No. 187 Arianne Hartono of the Netherlands, Eala repelled WTA No. 122 Varvara Lepchenko of america, 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-3), 6-3, within the Spherical of 16 earlier than besting No. 280 Nicole Fossa Huergo of Italy within the quarterfinals, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2.
“Alex Eala is unstoppable in Mexico and can play her second WTA ultimate of the season,” stated the academy of Spanish legend Rafael Nadal, his mentor after graduating as a scholar in 2023.
“We’ll be cheering from Spain so that you can maintain making historical past for your self and for the Philippines Mabuhay, Alex!”
Eala, 20, has some unfinished enterprise to settle in opposition to the 26-year-old Udvardy at 2 a.m. in the present day (Manila time) after absorbing a 7-6 (7-4), 6-4, defeat within the Oeiras Girls Open Spherical of 16 final April in Portugal. Udvardy clobbered No. 544 Maria Kozyreva of Russia, 6-3, 6-4, within the different semis bracket.
Eala additionally has an ax to grind in attempting to web her first professional title this 12 months and first WTA-level ever after falling quick from the coveted purpose to Australia’s Maya Joint within the WTA 250 Eastbourne Open in England final June.
Eala was on the verge of historical past then however misplaced three championship factors within the tiebreaker of the third set.
