Alex Eala came back from a 5-2 hole in the second set to beat Alina Charaeva 6-2, 7-5 and move into the WTA 125 Birmingham Open quarterfinals, where she will face Mananchaya Sawangkaew.
MANILA, Philippines—Alex Eala had barely settled into Thursday’s match when the second set started slipping away. By the time the score hit 5-2 in favor of Alina Charaeva of Russia, Eala needed more than momentum—she needed something steadier.
She found it. Eala won five straight games to close out the comeback and finish with a 6-2, 7-5 victory, advancing to the quarterfinals of the WTA 125 Birmingham Open.
“I think I was pleased with my attitude [today],” Eala said during the on-court interview. “I was in a tough spot in the second set, and I’m proud I stayed in there, giving myself another chance to do better tomorrow.”
The match told a clear story. Charaeva—who had already eliminated defending champion Greet Minnen—seemed on track for a decider after taking control of the second set, winning three straight games and landing her first break of the match to move ahead.
Eala didn’t let that lead become final. Bit by bit, she worked her way back until the pressure shifted again. When the last points were played. the effort showed in the time it took to decide—one hour and 40 minutes—and in the fact Eala kept the match from turning into Charaeva’s third-set opportunity.
The win also carried extra weight for Eala’s ongoing rivalry with Charaeva. It was Eala’s second straight win over Charaeva, after they met at the Philippine Women’s Open in January.
Quarterfinals are next. Eala will face Mananchaya Sawangkaew of Thailand on Friday.
She arrives with form that matches the grit she showed on court—after opening the tournament with a dominant win over Priscilla Hon, she came out firing again and raced to a 5-1 lead in the opening set before Charaeva tightened the contest in the second.
Alex Eala Alina Charaeva WTA 125 Birmingham Open quarterfinals Mananchaya Sawangkaew Greet Minnen Priscilla Hon
She was down 5-2 and still won?? That’s wild lol
So Charaeva is Russian and she was up then just collapsed? Sounds like tennis is basically vibes and momentum. Also Birmingham Open… is that the one near Alabama or like the UK? I’m confused but good for her.
Wait I thought the defending champion was gonna be playing, but it says Charaeva eliminated Greet Minnen already. So does that mean Eala only won because Charaeva wasn’t warmed up or what? The score line is messy too like 7-5 second set tbh.
Man, “five straight games” is basically the whole story. I watched like 10 seconds and figured she was done when it was 5-2. Then suddenly she’s in the semis? (Unless semis is later.) Also rivalry?? They met in January so I guess Tennis fans are gonna keep talking about it forever.