Eala Pulls Off Desert Miracle Against Sasnovich
From the brink of defeat, Alex Eala channels unbreakable resolve to storm into the Abu Dhabi quarters, her latest rally fueling a rising WTA narrative.
Under Abu Dhabi’s unyielding night sky, Alex Eala delivered a performance that silenced early doubts and ignited late-night cheers across the Philippines. The world No. 45 fought back from a set down and a 4-0 hole in the decider to claim a 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) victory over Aliaksandra Sasnovich, securing her spot in the quarterfinals of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open. Filipino fans, glued to screens in the wee hours of Thursday morning Philippine time, witnessed a match that pulsed with the raw energy of a player redefining her trajectory on hard courts.
This triumph echoed her landmark 2025 US Open rally against 16th seed Clara Tauson, where she clawed from 5-1 down in the third. Just last week at the inaugural Philippine Women’s Open, her dreams were crushed by a loss to eventual champion Camila Osorio in front of a home crowd craving a breakthrough. Eala arrived in the UAE carrying that emotional weight, her game sharpening with each practice session on the fast surfaces.
Second set persistence cracks defenses
Sasnovich dominated the opener with aggressive baseline fire, building a 31-18 edge in winners while Eala‘s serve faltered, marked by two double faults in her third game. The Belarusian dictated rallies, her flat shots skidding low and forcing errors on the hard court. Eala absorbed the pressure, her footwork steadying as she eyed adjustments for the next frame.
The second set mirrored the start, with Sasnovich snatching an early break through deep returns. Eala hit back immediately, breaking to level at 1-1 and settling into holds that tested both players’ resolve. She generated six break points in the sixth game alone, her heavy topspin forehands probing Sasnovich’s backhand, though the Belarusian scrambled to save them all with crosscourt passes.
More chances came in the eighth, but Eala’s persistence peaked in the tenth. Serving at 5-4, Sasnovich netted a forehand under the mounting returns, allowing Eala to convert the break with an inside-out winner. The set leveled, and the match swung toward a decider, Eala’s one–two patterns of serve and forehand gaining traction on the grippy surface.
Decider drama swings on mental edge
Sasnovich raced to 4-0 in the third, her returns landing heavy and disrupting Eala’s inside-in attempts. The Filipina held to make it 4-1, avoiding a shutout with a sliced backhand that drew a long reply. But Sasnovich broke again for 5-2, stepping up to serve for the win as tension thickened the humid air.
Eala refused to yield, saving a match point in the eighth game with a diving stretch for a down-the-line volley. Her hold ignited a surge: she broke back, then held twice more to lead 6-5, the court echoing with her accelerating topspin arcs. Sasnovich clawed to force the tiebreak, her inside-out backhand snagging a mini-break for 5-4.
Three straight points followed—Eala’s forehand crosscourt sealing it—turning despair into ecstasy. The victory marked her second consecutive quarterfinal, a sign of her hard-court evolution from defensive slices to aggressive patterns. Fans who endured the late hours now face another test: a Thursday evening clash with second seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, potentially capping 24 hours of non-stop drama.
Eala’s path forward demands sharper returns against Alexandrova’s big serve, but this win reinforces her as Philippine tennis’s bold force. On these courts, where every skid tests precision, her ability to reset after the 4-0 deficit speaks to a maturing game ready for deeper runs.