Alex Eala delivered one of her toughest wins yet at the WTA 500 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open after battling back from match point down to defeat Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the Round of 16 and reach the quarter-finals.
The Filipina dropped the first set 6-2 as Sasnovich, the 31-year-old Belarusian, imposed her experience early and kept Eala under pressure from the opening games.
Eala responded with a stronger second set, holding firm through a series of extended games that featured multiple deuces. With the score tied at 3-3, she began to take control and closed the set 6-4 to force a deciding third.
Momentum briefly swung back to Sasnovich in the final set, as she surged ahead quickly and built a commanding 4-0 lead. Eala managed to break the run by pulling back two games, but Sasnovich regained control to move to 5-2 and earn match point.
Facing elimination, Eala refused to fold and drew energy from the Abu Dhabi crowd as she turned the match around. She won four straight games to move ahead 6-5, putting Sasnovich under sudden pressure after appearing close to victory.
Sasnovich managed to level the set at 6-6, but Eala carried her momentum into the tiebreak and edged it 7-5 to complete the comeback and secure a place in the last eight.
Eala will next face World No. 11 Ekaterina Alexandrova in the quarter-finals on Thursday. Alexandrova advanced after a dominant Round of 16 win over Dayana Yastremska, 6-3, 6-0.
