Alexandrova Outlasts Eala’s Fire in Abu Dhabi Heat
Ekaterina Alexandrova turned back a roaring crowd and Alexandra Eala’s relentless fight to punch her semifinal ticket at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, while Sara Bejlek’s precision carved a breakthrough path.
In the sun-baked arena of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, Ekaterina Alexandrova faced not just Alexandra Eala’s rising game but a wall of cheers from the Filipino community that pulsed through every rally. The No. 2 seed absorbed the pressure, her 6-3, 6-3 win in 1 hour and 30 minutes sealing her first semifinal of 2026 on these medium-paced hard courts. Eala’s spirit, fresh from a dramatic third-set turnaround the day before, kept the tension alive, but Alexandrova’s serve edge proved decisive.
“I saw the last match,” Alexandrova said in her on-court interview, referring to Eala’s remarkable comeback from 4-0 down in the third set—saving a match point—against Aliaksandra Sasnovich. “She was fighting ‘til the end. I knew it was going to be difficult but I think the atmosphere was amazing today—the crowd, I know they were cheering for her but I think the atmosphere was great. So I enjoyed my time on the court, and I’m happy I could finish in two sets because it was really difficult in the end.”
Eala pushed back hard after Alexandrova’s early breaks in both sets, her crosscourt backhands landing with flat precision to level the score. The 20-year-old’s intensity forced longer exchanges, but her first serve, landing at 70%, won just 45% of points—outpaced by the 53% she claimed on seconds. Alexandrova, meanwhile, dominated with 70% success on her own first deliveries, using heavy topspin to control the baseline tempo.
Eala’s intensity sparks break-back drama
The first set built to a crescendo at 5-3, where Alexandrova saved four break points with a mix of low slices and aggressive returns that skidded off the hard court surface. She closed it with a clean one-two: serve out wide, followed by an inside-out forehand winner that Eala couldn’t chase down. The crowd’s energy surged for Eala, turning the decibels up as she hunted for a shift, but Alexandrova stayed locked in, her 33 winners to Eala’s 15 highlighting the firepower gap.
In the second set, Eala erased a break to tie at 3-3, her down-the-line passes threading the needle to extend rallies and test the 31-year-old’s legs. Alexandrova responded by stepping inside the baseline on returns, pressuring second serves to force errors and rebuild her lead. This tactical pivot, blending crosscourt angles with occasional drop shots, kept Eala off-balance on a surface that rewards first-strike aggression.
Serve stats tilt the tactical balance
Alexandrova’s ability to hold firm under pressure stemmed from her process-driven mindset, honed through a demanding early-season schedule. She avoided outcome fixation, instead channeling focus into each point amid the arena’s roar. Eala’s ground game shone in defensive scrambles, but the serve disparity left her vulnerable, underscoring how hard-court speed amplifies power over placement alone.
“I was trying to remind myself, ‘You need to play until the last point,'” Alexandrova added. “I was trying to keep my focus on that—I think that really helped me. Not thinking about the outcome but more about the process.” Her words captured the mental edge that carried her through, transforming crowd noise into motivation for the semifinal ahead.
Across the draw, 20-year-old qualifier Sara Bejlek turned an all-qualifier matchup into a rout, blanking Sonay Kartal 6-0, 6-2 in 63 minutes to claim her first WTA semifinal spot. Bejlek won the opening 10 games with sharp down-the-line redirects and soft drop shots that died on the court, disrupting Kartal’s footing. Even as her opponent stretched rallies in the second set, the Czech extended her own with topspin loops, drawing unforced errors to maintain control.
Bejlek’s variety fuels qualifier surge
Bejlek’s run from the qualifiers highlights how adaptability pays off on Abu Dhabi’s consistent bounce, her net approaches adding unpredictability to a baseline-heavy field. She now faces No. 3 seed Clara Tauson, who advanced 6-3, 6-4 over McCartney Kessler with flat groundstrokes that exploited the surface’s pace. This semifinal pits Bejlek’s craft against Tauson’s power, promising a clash of styles under the desert lights.
As Alexandrova prepares for her side of the bracket, her victory eases the weight of 2026 expectations, setting up a test of endurance against either Tauson or Bejlek. Eala’s effort, though halted, builds her case as a fighter on the rise, her prior comeback a sign of bigger breakthroughs to come. Follow the Abu Dhabi: Scores | Draws | Order of play for the next twists in this resilient tournament narrative.
