Sports & Entertainment

Alex Eala was one point from the ASB Classic final, one swing from crossing another threshold. Instead, the Auckland night tilted the other way, and the semifinal of the season’s first WTA 250 turned into a bruising lesson in fine margins.

Alexandra Eala kept her Auckland charge moving with a sharp, no-nonsense win on Friday, brushing aside Poland’s Magda Linette 6-3 6-2 to reach the ASB Classic semifinals.

Filipina tennis star Alexandra Eala barely allowed the clock to catch its breath at the ASB Classic on Thursday, needing just 63 minutes to dismantle Croatia’s Petra Marcinko 6-0, 6-2 and stride into the quarterfinals of the WTA 250 event, her first of the 2026 season.

Rising Filipina racing talent Bianca Bustamante will take another significant step in her European single-seater career after confirming a full 2026 campaign in Eurocup-3, contesting both the Winter Series and the main Championship Series with Palou Motorsport.

The 2026 WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz is less than a week from first serve, with the Australian swing set to launch the season shortly after the new year and deliver an immediate test for the world’s best players.