FILIPINA tennis sensation Alex Eala fell short of a record finals appearance as she ended her historic run in the semi-finals of the WTA 1000 Miami Open with a gallant stand against USA’s World No. 4 Jessica Pegula on Friday. 

After a few days of turning heads in international tennis communities with her remarkable performances as a wild card entrant, Eala will leave with her head held high, losing to Pegula 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-3. 

Despite failing to move to the next round, world No. 140 Eala put up a good fight against a higher seeded opponent, cementing her place in tennis history as one of the best wild card players to ever hold a racket.

Action-Packed Matchup

Eala entered the semi-finals full of confidence after defeating several big names in the tournament, and she made an immediate impact with a 2-0 lead in the first game. 

However, Pegula ensured that the Filipina star’s character would be tested by tying the game at 2-2. Eala then responded with a remarkable run, taking a 5-2 lead to challenge the American great. 

Displaying a champion’s composure, Pegula took over and tied the game at 5-5 before winning the first game 7-6(3). Eala lead the tiebreak 3-2, although Pegula played better in the first set.

Pegula extended her momentum into the second game, taking a 3-1 lead. Despite tweaking her ankle early in the set, Eala rallied back to square the game at three apiece, finally breaking the tie to take a 4-3 lead. 

Pegula then scored two straight points to take a 5-4 lead, but Eala drew the game at 5 and forced the battle to a deciding set with a 7-5 win in the second game.

Historic Run

In the final game, where everything was on the line, the fans witnessed a seesaw battle between the two finals contenders, as Pegula and Eala refused to give up, exchanging scores to equal 3-3. 

However, the tie was broken by the representative from the United States. The world No. 4 dropped three straight points when it mattered most, winning 6-3 and ending Eala’s dream run against Grand Slam champions at the Miami Open. 

“She’s really good, a really good tennis player. Obviously, she’s beaten a lot of top players this week,” said Pegula after the hard fought match, commending the performance of Eala.

“I don’t really think she needs me to tell her that she’s a great player, that we’re not going to see enough of her, but we definitely are, and she proved that tonight. That was really tough,” she added.

Nonetheless, Eala will return home with a sense of accomplishment after an outstanding run at the Miami Open, where she defeated four Top 25 world-ranked players, including two from the Top 5.

Before reaching the semi-finals, the 19-year-old overcame world No. 25 Jeļena Ostapenko in the round-of-64 and moved to the round-of-32, where she defeated word No. 5 Madison Keys. 

In the round-of-16, she received a walkover when world No. 11 Paula Badosa withdrew due to a back injury, allowing her to advance to the quarterfinals, where she defeated world No. 2 Iga Swiatek.