Wang Xinyu has booked her place in the ASB Classic final after surviving a dramatic three-set battle against Alexandra Eala, winning 5-7 7-5 6-4 in Saturday’s semifinal in Auckland, while saving a match point.
The match swung repeatedly in front of a vocal crowd, bolstered by hundreds of Filipino supporters who snapped up ground passes, gathered around Centre Court and giant screens to cheer on Eala, creating one of the loudest atmospheres of the tournament.
From the outset, Wang appeared in control. She broke Eala’s serve twice in the opening three games to race into an early lead, before a huge roar went up when Eala finally held serve in the fifth game.
Wang served for the set at 5-2, was broken back. Two games later, Eala struck again, and when Wang double-faulted on set point at 5-6, the Filipino teenager completed a remarkable comeback to take the opening set.
“That was a crazy battle from the start to the end,” Wang said afterwards. “Alex, she is such a fighter. I felt the pressure even when 5-1 up.”
The second set followed a similar script. Wang again secured an early break, only for Eala to claw her way back behind relentless defence and the energy of the crowd.
At 5-3, Eala served for a place in the final and earned a match point, but her attempt to finish with a bold winner in the deuce corner sailed just long. Wang seized the reprieve, broke serve, and went on to level the match by taking the set 7-5.
“When she started playing unbelievable, there was nothing much I could do other than just clap for her good shots,” Wang said.
“When we started the second set, I told myself it’s a fresh start. No matter how she was playing at the end of the first set, we’re going to start over now and I’m going to try to take every game, every point and every shot.”
Asked about the pivotal match point, Wang said her focus was simply on staying in the rally.
“When she hit it, I was just like, ‘OK, if it goes in, I can just clap,’” she said. “I want to give credit to myself too for trying to get to every ball, try to give her one more shot to play.”
Eala briefly left the court for treatment when trailing 3-0 in the deciding set, but she again refused to fade. Wang moved to within a game of victory at 5-2, only for Eala to break back and then hold serve to close the gap to 5-4, reigniting belief among her supporters.
Serving for the match for a second time, Wang steadied herself, held her nerve and closed out the contest, ending an absorbing semifinal that showcased both players’ resilience.
Reaching the final continues a week Wang admitted she had not planned beyond her opening match.
“Coming into this week, I never thought about making it to the final,” she said.
“I was just like, OK, let’s enjoy this first match, it’s the first week of the year. Then everything has been amazing. I’ve been having tough battles, and I’m really happy to get there.”