Alex Eala is turning heartbreak into hustle. After an early singles exit at the WTA Guangzhou Open, the Filipina tennis star found her winning groove again—this time in doubles.
Teaming up for the first time with Ukraine’s Nadiia Kichenok, Eala powered into the semifinals after toppling the Russian pair of Polina Kudermetova and Kamilla Rakhimova, 6-3, 7-5, in a spirited quarterfinal showdown on Friday.
It is Eala’s first semifinal appearance in a WTA doubles event this year—and her debut partnership with the seasoned Kichenok is off to a flying start.
The new duo came out firing, breaking early for a 2-0 lead before the Russians fought back to level the score at 3-all. Undeterred, Eala and Kichenok broke again and coolly bagged the first set, 6-3.
The second set was tighter, with Kudermetova and Rakhimova surging ahead, 5-4. But Eala, ever composed from the baseline, and Kichenok, sharp at the net, clawed back to force a tiebreak and seal the win after one hour and 17 minutes of spirited play.
Ranked No. 53 in singles and No. 207 in doubles, Eala showed the same fire that carried her to WTA and Grand Slam breakthroughs. Kichenok, a doubles specialist ranked 62nd, provided the poise and precision that perfectly complemented Eala’s youthful aggression.
Next up: the Filipina-Ukrainian duo will battle Poland’s Katarzyna Piter and Indonesia’s Janice Tjen in the semifinals—a clash that could punch Eala’s ticket to her first WTA doubles final of the season.
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