Alex Eala in motion through the WTA 125 Birmingham Open. –BIRMINGHAM OPEN PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines–Alex Eala ousted Mananchaya Sawangkaew of Thailand, 6-3, 6-2, to secure a spot within the semifinals of the Birmingham Open on Saturday.
Eala overcame a tricky challenge from Sawangkaew but found her stride in each sets to rearrange a semifinal duel with Switzerland’s Rebeka Masarova.
After Sawangkaew took a 2-1 lead within the second set, Eala strung together five straight games to seal the match in a single hour and 21 minutes.
It was an analogous story in the primary set because the tournament’s top seed broke away from a 1-1 deadlock by winning 4 straight games for a commanding 5-1 advantage.
“I’ll take the experience that I got from this match,” said Eala, who moved inside two wins of her second WTA 125 title after capturing the Guadalajara crown last yr.
The Filipino tennis star said she took pride in facing a fellow Southeast Asian on the court.
Eala scored a repeat victory over Sawangkaew, whom she defeated in the ladies’s tennis singles final of the 2025 Southeast Asian Games.
Eala and Masarova, ranked 132 within the WTA, will square off for a spot in the ultimate later Saturday.