Latest news with #EastbourneOpen
GMA Network
an hour ago
- Sport
- GMA Network
Alex Eala expected to enter world's top 60 in women's tennis
Alexandra Eala celebrates after beating Varvara Gracheva in their women's singles semi-final tennis match in the Eastbourne Open in Eastbourne, southern England, on June 27, 2025. (GLYN KIRK / AFP) Alex Eala is expected to enter the world's top 60 in women's tennis after reaching the finals of the Eastbourne Open. According to a report by sports site Tennis 365, Eala's semis win put her at no. 56 in the WTA live rankings, which will allow the 20-year old player to become the first Filipina to crack the top 60. If Eala wins the Eastbourne Open trophy, the report added that the player could go as high as no. 52 in her rankings. Eala will face Maya Joint first in the finals on Saturday night. The WTA said rankings are determined by "results at a maximum of 18 tournaments for singles and 12 for doubles. Points are awarded based on the level of tournament and a player's round-by-round progression at that tournament." Playing in the Eastbourne Open which is a WTA 250 tournament, 250 ranking points will be given to the winner. Currently the world no. 74, rankings are expected to be updated by Monday. —JKC, GMA Integrated News
Asharq Al-Awsat
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Eala Makes History for Philippines by Reaching Eastbourne Final
Alexandra Eala became the first Filipino to reach a WTA Tour final as she beat fellow qualifier Varvara Gracheva 7-5 2-6 6-3 at the Eastbourne Open on Friday, while lucky loser Jenson Brooksby will meet holder Taylor Fritz in the men's final. Left-hander Eala, ranked 74th in the world, edged a tight first set before losing five games in a row in the second as the match appeared to be slipping away. But the 20-year-old regrouped in the decider and survived a tough seventh game before breaking her French opponent's serve to lead 5-3. She then enjoyed a love service game to seal victory. In Saturday's final she will face 19-year-old Australian Maya Joint who beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5 6-3. It will be the youngest Eastbourne final since 1981 when Tracy Austin faced fellow American Andrea Jaeger. "I'm super happy because that was a tough match and there were some really tough moments," an emotional Eala, who is based in Mallorca and trains at the Rafa Nadal Academy, said on court. "It was tough physically and mentally because she is a tough player and also came from qualifying." Eala's run will not have gone unnoticed by Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova, who has been drawn to play her in the first round at the All England Club next week. Krejcikova reached the quarter-finals at Eastbourne but withdrew with a thigh injury on Thursday. Joint continued her impressive run as she reached her first WTA final on grass, coming from 5-3 behind in the opening set against Pavlyuchenkova to take control. "I'm very excited," the 51st-ranked Joint said on court. "I've learned to love playing on grass this week." Three-times champion Fritz overcame Spanish sixth seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3 3-6 6-1 and will now face fellow-American Brooksby after the lucky loser beat French fourth seed Ugo Humbert. Fritz broke the Spaniard's first service game as he comfortably won the first set, and while Davidovich Fokina fought back to force a decider, the American broke twice in the last set to reach the final for the fourth time. Brooksby won his first ATP title in April at the US Men's Clay Court Championship, where he began as a wildcard in the qualifying rounds and his 6-7(7) 6-4 6-4 win over Humbert sees the American make it to another final. "I think it's a lot less pressure when you don't expect to be in the main draw and get the opportunity," Brooksby said. "You just want to make the most of it." Humbert came from 5-3 down to win the opening set on a tiebreak, before Brooksby bounced back despite the Frenchman's battling spirit. The American took a 3-0 lead in the next two sets and Humbert drew level on both occasions, but Brooksby clinched both sets with a break of serve.
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Arab News
Alexandra Eala makes tennis history for Philippines by reaching Eastbourne final
EASTBOURNE, England: Alexandra Eala became the first Filipino to reach a WTA Tour final as she beat fellow qualifier Varvara Gracheva 7-5 2-6 6-3 at the Eastbourne Open on Friday, while lucky loser Jenson Brooksby will meet holder Taylor Fritz in the men's final. Left-hander Eala, ranked 74th in the world, edged a tight first set before losing five games in a row in the second as the match appeared to be slipping away. But the 20-year-old regrouped in the decider and survived a tough seventh game before breaking her French opponent's serve to lead 5-3. She then enjoyed a love service game to seal victory. In Saturday's final she will face 19-year-old Australian Maya Joint who beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5 6-3. It will be the youngest Eastbourne final since 1981 when Tracy Austin faced fellow American Andrea Jaeger. 'I'm super happy because that was a tough match and there were some really tough moments,' an emotional Eala, who is based in Mallorca and trains at the Rafa Nadal Academy, said on court. 'It was tough physically and mentally because she is a tough player and also came from qualifying.' Eala's run will not have gone unnoticed by Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova, who has been drawn to play her in the first round at the All England Club next week. Krejcikova reached the quarter-finals at Eastbourne but withdrew with a thigh injury on Thursday. Joint continued her impressive run as she reached her first WTA final on grass, coming from 5-3 behind in the opening set against Pavlyuchenkova to take control. 'I'm very excited,' the 51st-ranked Joint said on court. 'I've learned to love playing on grass this week.' Three-times champion Fritz overcame Spanish sixth seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3 3-6 6-1 and will now face fellow-American Brooksby after the lucky loser beat French fourth seed Ugo Humbert. Fritz broke the Spaniard's first service game as he comfortably won the first set, and while Davidovich Fokina fought back to force a decider, the American broke twice in the last set to reach the final for the fourth time. Brooksby won his first ATP title in April at the US Men's Clay Court Championship, where he began as a wildcard in the qualifying rounds and his 6-7(7) 6-4 6-4 win over Humbert sees the American make it to another final. 'I think it's a lot less pressure when you don't expect to be in the main draw and get the opportunity,' Brooksby said. 'You just want to make the most of it.' Humbert came from 5-3 down to win the opening set on a tiebreak, before Brooksby bounced back despite the Frenchman's battling spirit. The American took a 3-0 lead in the next two sets and Humbert drew level on both occasions, but Brooksby clinched both sets with a break of serve.
GMA Network
2 hours ago
- Sport
- GMA Network
Who is Alex Eala's Eastbourne Open finals foe Maya Joint?
Alex Eala will play in a WTA Tour finals for the first time in her career on Saturday. Eala reached the finals of the Eastbourne Open after defeating France's Varvara Gracheva in the semifinals. In the finals, the 20-year old Filipina will face Maya Joint of Australia. Joint is a 19-year old player who has won the Morocco Open last May, her first WTA title. In Eastbourne, Joint defeated 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu in the Round of 16. She then beat Anna Blinkova in the quarterfinals before ousting Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the semis. —JKC, GMA Integrated News
News18
5 hours ago
- Sport
- News18
Taylor Fritz Eyes Fourth Eastbourne Title In Final vs Brooksby; Eala Makes History
Last Updated: Top seed Taylor Fritz will face Jenson Brooksby in the Eastbourne Open final. Alexandra Eala made history as the first Filipino to reach a WTA Tour final. Top seed Taylor Fritz remains on track for a fourth Eastbourne Open title in six years after advancing to the final, where he will face fellow American and lucky loser Jenson Brooksby on Saturday. Fritz overcame a second-set dip to defeat Spanish sixth seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, moving a step closer to securing his second grass-court title of the season following his triumph in Stuttgart earlier this month. While the world No. 5 was widely expected to make the final, Brooksby's journey has been nothing short of remarkable. The 24-year-old entered the tournament as a lucky loser after falling in straight sets to Aleksandar Vukic in qualifying. On Friday, Brooksby stunned French fourth seed Ugo Humbert 6-7 (7/9), 6-4, 6-4 to become the first lucky loser in tournament history to reach the final. 'I think it's a lot less pressure when you don't expect to be in the main draw and get the opportunity," said Brooksby, currently ranked 149th in the world. 'You just want to make the most of it." Brooksby captured his first ATP Tour title earlier this year in Houston as a qualifier, saving match points in three of his matches during that run. Eala Reaches Historic Final for the Philippines Earlier in the day, Alexandra Eala made history by becoming the first Filipino player to reach a WTA Tour final, defeating Varvara Gracheva 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 at the Eastbourne International. The match, which lasted over two hours, was a hard-fought contest on the grass courts of Devonshire Park. Eala's composure and persistence paid off as she edged through to the final of this Wimbledon warm-up event. The 20-year-old will face 19-year-old Australian Maya Joint in Saturday's final. Joint, ranked No. 51 in the world, earned her spot by defeating Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5, 6-3. 'It was a challenge for both of us, physically and mentally. She's a really solid player, had some moments where she was really dominating," said Eala. 'The fact that I was able to stay there and wait for my opportunities was a big achievement for me." Eala's rise has been rapid. Ranked No. 74 in the world, she grabbed headlines earlier this year with a breakout performance at the Miami Open, where she reached the semi-finals after stunning Grand Slam champions Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and Iga Swiatek. Eala is scheduled to face defending champion Barbora Krejcikova in the first round at Wimbledon on Centre Court this Tuesday. However, Krejcikova's participation is in doubt after she withdrew from her Eastbourne quarter-final on Thursday due to a thigh injury. (with AFP inputs) About the Author Siddarth Sriram First Published: June 28, 2025, 08:16 IST
