Alex Eala Advances to Final Round of Eastbourne Qualifiers After Dominant Win vs. Sönmez

MANILA, Philippines — Filipina tennis star Alex Eala moved one step closer to the main draw of the Eastbourne Open after defeating Turkey’s Zeynep Sönmez, 6-1, 6-3, in the first round of the qualifiers Saturday evening (Manila time).

Eala, ranked No. 77 in the world, broke Sönmez twice after a 1-1 start in the opening set, winning five straight games. Despite Sönmez holding set point twice in the second set’s ninth game, Eala showed composure and closed the match in one hour and 13 minutes.

She now faces world No. 56 Hailey Baptiste of the USA in the final qualifying round, with a spot in the tournament’s main draw at stake.