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Alex Eala continued her impressive run at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships by defeating Sorana Cirstea in straight sets to secure a spot in the quarter-finals.
The 20-year-old showcased her dominance on Centre Court on Wednesday night, building on her momentum from a 2-0 victory over world No. 8 Jasmine Paolini in the previous round.
The first set was tightly contested, with Cirstea briefly taking a 5-4 lead before Eala quickly equalized and then broke her opponent’s serve to take the set 6-5. The Filipino star closed out the opener with determination, winning the final game to take a 1-0 lead amid cheers from the Dubai crowd.
Eala carried that confidence into the second set, immediately breaking Cirstea’s serve and racing to a 4-0 lead. Despite Cirstea’s late fightback, narrowing the gap to 5-4, Eala held her composure and won the final game to seal the straight-sets victory.
Looking ahead, Eala faces a formidable challenge in world No. 4 Coco Gauff in the quarter-finals. Gauff, the tournament’s top seed following the exit of Elena Rybakina, advanced with a series of strong performances, including a tense round-of-16 win over Elise Mertens where she saved three match points to eventually win 6-3 in the decider.
Eala expressed excitement about the upcoming match, saying it is a valuable learning experience. “Facing a player like Coco in a quarter-final is a fantastic opportunity. Win or lose, it’s great experience, and playing against her would be one of my career highlights,” she said.
