Eala enters semis in WTA Canberra International

MANILA, Philippines — Filipina tennis star Alex Eala is off to the WTA Canberra International semifinals after outlasting Taylah Preston, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, Thursday. 

Eala dropped the first set but regained her bearings to secure the win in an hour and 52 minutes. 

Preston, the World No. 170, hit the ground running, winning the first two games before taking a commanding 5-3 lead in the first set. 

Eala kept the set alive after the hometown bet’s return went long, but an error by the former gave her opponent the first set. 

Come the second set, Preston was still hot, taking a 2-1 advantage before being blanked by the Asian Games bronze medalist to force the third set. 

The two traded the first two games of the third set, but Eala’s momentum was too great to overcome.

The Filipina asserted her mastery and punched her ticket to the semifinals, as she dominated Preston the rest of the way. 

Her opponent in the Final Four is still to be determined. She will face either World No. 134 Sijia Wei of China or World No. 176 Simona Waltert of Switzerland on Saturday.