Alex Eala has left the crowd absolutely stunned after saving match point to reach the Abu Dhabi quarter-final in front of a raucous crowd. This comes as Katie Boulter returned to winning ways and reached her first quarter-final since mid last year.
Eala garnered plenty of attention during her Australian Open first round exit with the arena full of her compatriots cheering her on. And the fanfare around the 20-year-old continues after the the Filipino rallied back to defeat Aliaksandra Sasnovich 2-6, 6-4, 7-6.
Filipino star Alex Eala (pictured right) has reached the Abu Dhabi quarter-final, while Katie Boulter (pictured left) returned to winning ways. (Images: Getty Images/WTA)
Eala was 5-2 down in the third set and faced match point, but managed to fight her way out of the game. She then took it to a tiebreak, where she emerged victorious as her Filipino fans erupted.
She will now play Ekaterina Alexandrova in the quarter-final. The young Filipino now has a huge decision to make on whether she withdraws from her doubles match, which is scheduled not long after her singles quarter-final round.
Alexandra Eala (pictured) continues to win over fans around the world after reaching the quarter-final at the Abu Dhabi Open.
(Christopher Pike via Getty Images)
Regardless, the rising tennis star will be hoping she can draw on the energy on another electric atmosphere as her fanbase continues to grow. Eala’s fans showed up in mass at the Australian Open, which created a phenomenal atmosphere.
And Abu Dhabi organisers will be hoping this continues as she prepares for one of the biggest matches of her career. Fans are enjoying the energy Eala creates at matches with a Davis Cup style atmosphere drawing in supporters. Meanwhile, Boulter has found some form after her disappointing Australian Open exit.
Katie Boulter reaches quarter-final
Boulter struggled for form for the most part of 2025 as she dropped down the rankings. However, she appears to have found form again having reached her first quarter-final since Nottingham in 2025. Boulter defeated Swiss star Victorija Golubic 6-2, 6-2 at the Ostrava Open. This was was her second straight victory.
She started off with a win at the ASB Classic in New Zealand to start the season and was granted a place in the main draw of the Australian Open when others withdrew. She was eliminated in the first round of the Australian Open after coming up against Belinda Bencic.
The 29-year-old dropped to World No.120 after the first round exit and left Australia to prepare for her next tournament. This was despite Aussie fiance Alex de Minaur making a surge to the quarter-final. But her decision to focus on her form has paid off producing her best form since mid last year.