Pinay ace rallies past Czech rival to claim second WTA 125 title
By Camille Parker
MANILA — Alexandra Eala added another milestone to her growing career after capturing the Birmingham Open title with a hard-fought 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Czech fifth seed Nikola Bartunkova on Sunday night in the United Kingdom.
The Filipino top seed displayed grit and championship mentality as she recovered from a set down to secure her first grass-court crown and second WTA 125 title overall.
Ranked World No. 37, Eala stayed composed in a tense deciding set, holding off late pressure to complete a memorable comeback at the Edgbaston Priory Club.
Eala credited her aggressive mindset in key moments as the difference-maker in the final.
“It was a really tight moment and I knew that if I didn’t go for it, Nikki would go for it,” she said. “A little bit of luck and intention helped me pull through.”
The Birmingham triumph capped a strong week for the Filipina star, who opened her campaign with a dominant win over Australia’s Priscilla Hon, 6-0, 6-2, before beating Russia’s Alina Charaeva, 6-2, 7-5, in the second round.
She followed it up with a quarterfinal victory over Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew, 6-3, 6-2, and a semifinal comeback win against Swiss qualifier Rebeka Masarova, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.
The win over Sawangkaew carried extra significance, as Eala had also defeated the Thai player in the Southeast Asian Games final last year, ending a 26-year gold medal drought for the Philippines in women’s singles.
Earlier in the tournament, Eala briefly partnered with Bartunkova in doubles, but the pair fell in a tight opening-round match against Harriet Dart and Maia Lumsden, 4-6, 6-2, 11-9.
Bartunkova reached the final after an impressive run that included wins over Gabriela Knutson, Stojsavljevic, and Ashlyn Krueger, but was ultimately denied by Eala’s resilience and shot-making.
The Birmingham victory further cements Eala’s status as one of the rising forces in women’s tennis as she shifts focus to the upcoming grass-court season.
elamidia
