Eala weathers second-set scare, rallies past Charaeva for Birmingham Open QF berth

Refusing to buckle under pressure, Alexandra “Alex” Eala launched a berserk five-game burst to rally back from a second-set deficit and foil Alina Charaeva, 6–2, 7–5, to book a quarterfinals spot during the WTA 125 Birmingham Open Round of 16, June 4.

Right out of the gates, the Filipina tennis ace orchestrated the duel’s tone early on, building a comfortable 4–0 cushion via two break points and accurate flushes down the line.

Charaeva briefly halted Eala’s momentum by holding serve at 5–2, but the Filipina maintained her steam, ultimately converting her set point after two deuces to win the opener.

Succumbing to a clinical performance from the Filipina, the Russian netter nursed her stumble as she mounted a fightback in the second frame, breaking her foe’s serve in the sixth game and steadily holding serves while racing to a 2–5 lead.

But that was when the Eala flexed her clutch factor.

With no room for mishaps, world No. 37 Filipina uncorked timely crosscourt hits as WTA No. 130 yielded two serve markers that allowed Eala to string five consecutive games and avert meltdown.

With the win, Eala now moves on to the final eight of the event, where she is set to square off against Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew in a rematch of the gold medal match at the 2025 SEA Games.