Manila: Filipino tennis star Alexandra Eala dethroned defending champion and No. 7 seed Leylah Fernandez, 6-1, 7-6 (2), to reach the WTA 500 Mubadala Open quarterfinals in Washington, USA.
According to Philippines News Agency, Eala's win avenged her previous 1-6, 4-6 loss to the Canadian in the first round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix on clay in Stuttgart, Germany, last April 14. During a post-match interview, Eala, 21, reflected on her performance, stating, "I know that she was playing a little better, and maybe my level dropped a little bit." She emphasized the importance of patience and a strong mentality in overcoming tricky moments during the match.
Eala is set to face the winner between Ukrainian second seed Elina Svitolina and Uzbek qualifier Polina Kudermetova in the next round. Svitolina had a first-round bye, while Kudermetova rallied past Spanish Cristina Busca, 5-7, 7-6 (4), 6-0. Meanwhile, 2022 champion Liudmila Samsonova advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating Wang Xinyu 6-2, 6-2.
The tournament offers a total prize money of USD1,637,982. The breakdown of ranking points and prize money for each round includes: Singles - First round: 1 point | USD17,440; Second round: 60 points | USD24,474; Quarterfinal: 108 points | USD47,750; Semifinal: 195 points | USD90,900; Finalist: 325 points | USD155,000; Champion: 500 points | USD252,000. Doubles - First round: 1 point | USD9,210; Quarterfinal: 108 points | USD15,140; Semifinal: 195 points | USD29,490; Finalist: 325 points | USD50,790; Champion: 500 points | USD83,500.
