Manila: Filipino Alexandra Eala ousted third seed Japanese Naomi Osaka, 6-4, 6-2, Saturday (Sunday in Manila) at the Mubadala DC Open in Washington to reach her first WTA 500 final. The 21-year-old Eala will face American top seed Jessica Pegula, who prevailed over fourth seed Diana Shnaider, 7-5, 6-4, in the other semifinal match.

According to Philippines News Agency, Pegula defeated Eala, 7-6, 5-7, 6-3 in their first meeting at the WTA 1000 Miami Open semifinals last year. Reflecting on her performance, Eala expressed confidence in her serve, noting its potential for variety and effectiveness. She stated, "I think that my serve can be uncomfortable... it's a process. Who knows? I'm not going to put a cap on my serve. Maybe I will one day serve 200."

Eala also commented on the competitive nature of the tournament, emphasizing the significance of reaching the final. "Going into this tournament, I looked at the list, and it was jam-packed. It was big player after big player after big player. So to be in the final really means a lot to me," said Eala, who dethroned defending champion and No. 7 seed Leylah Fernandez, 6-1, 7-6 (2), to reach the quarterfinal round where she pulled off a 6-3, 6-4 victory over No. 2 seed Elina Svitolina.

The champion of the tournament will receive 500 ranking points and USD252,000 in cash, while the runner-up will be awarded 325 ranking points and USD155,000.