Alex Eala booked a ticket to the final of the W40 Petange women’s singles tournament following a 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 victory over Anna-Lena Friedsam of Germany last Saturday at the Tennis Club Petange in Petange, Luxembourg.
Eala, 18, had to endure two hours and 30 minutes of action against Friedsam, who is ranked at No. 114 in the Women’s Tennis Association, for a crack at her third title in 2023 after clinching the W25 Yecla in Spain last June and the W25 Roehampton in August.
The Rafael Nadal Tennis Academy graduate is having a stellar run this year as she clinched two bronze medals in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China last August in the women’s singles and the mixed doubles with Francis Alcantara.
With the W40 Petange being her last tournament of the year, Eala is determined to grab her fifth singles title.
Eala opened her campaign with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Angelina Wirges in the Round of 32 before going on another sweep, this time against Johanne Svendsen of Denmark, 6-3, 6-1, in the Round of 16.
Eala would then eliminate Jasmijn Gimbrere of the Netherlands in the quarterfinal, 6-3, 6-2, to set up a duel with Friedsam in the semifinal.
The Filipino tennis sensation will have a crack at the title when she faces Oceane Dodin of France.
Dodin, who is currently at No. 101 in the WTA rankings, defeated Eala’s former doubles partner, Hanne Vandewinkel of Belgium, 6-1, 6-3, in the semifinal to book a slot in the championship round.
