Alex Eala is on the verge of breaking into the top 30 of the WTA Rankings after reaching the last eight of the Dubai Tennis Championships with another solid win.

Following her brilliant win over sixth seed Jasmine Paolini in the second round, Eala followed it up with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Sorana Cirstea to reach her second WTA 1000 quarter-final.

“Every round is such a battle and so filled with tension,” Eala said during her on-court interview. “So I’m really happy with how I performed, and I’m really happy to be able to share it with all of you.

“The key today was staying calm and trusting my shots. I think I was very solid in particular moments where I needed to be, [and] that reflected in my performance and in the score.”

The Filipina famously made it to the semi-final of the Miami Open last year when she beat Grand Slam winners Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek before losing against Jessica Pegula.

That run on the hard courts in the United States propelled her into the top 100 of the rankings, and now eight months late,r she finds herself at No 32 in the Live Rankings on the back of her three wins in Dubai.

The 20-year-old has previously been as high as No 40, but she started the Middle East event at No 42, and is now projected to rise 15 places to No 32 with her win over Romanian Cirstea.

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And the Filipino fans were once again out in force on Centre Court in Dubai to support the rising star.

“Obviously their support means a lot to me,” Eala added. “It definitely motivated me in the tight moments and makes the emotions more intense when I win, but I wouldn’t attribute all of it to them. Whether they’re there or not, I’m going to fight until the end and do what I can to win.

“I’ve not always been a competitor who’s been put in night sessions on Centre Court. I’ve been playing tennis for many years and I’m also used to playing in front of no crowds.

“I’m still in the earlier phase of my career, so I’m doing my best to enjoy and I hope the feeling is reciprocated by the crowd. It just creates an amazing atmosphere.”

Up next is two-time Grand Slam winner Coco Gauff, who came through a three-set win over Elise Mertens, and she knows it will be a tough battle.

“Win or lose, it’s a great opportunity for me to learn. Obviously facing a player like Coco is something that people would kill to do – and in a quarter-final here in Dubai as well, so I’m super excited,” she said.