Alex Eala beats Kayla Day, reaches Guadalajara 125 Open finals

Dubai: Filipina tennis star Alexandra 'Alex' Eala is through to the finals of the Guadalajara 125 Open after a commanding win over American Kayla Day, 6-2, 6-3, in the semifinals.

Eala had a slow start, falling behind 0-2 in the opening set, but quickly turned things around by winning eight straight games. That run allowed her to take the first set, 6-2, and grab an early 2-0 lead in the second. Day briefly fought back to tie the set at 2-2, but the Filipina regained control, surging ahead 5-2 before sealing the victory with a forehand return winner.

It has been a tough few days for the 20-year-old. Eala's second-round match against veteran Varvara Lepchenko was cut short by rain, forcing her to return the next day and grind out a three-set win, 6-7, 7-6, 6-3. Only hours later, she went back on court for the quarterfinals and still had enough in the tank to beat Italy’s Nicole Fossa Huergo, 7-6, 6-2.

Those back-to-back wins set her up for her first WTA 125 semifinal since reaching the Eastbourne final in June. Eala has been in good form since her breakthrough run at the US Open, where she notched an upset over Clara Tauson before bowing out to Cristina Bucsa in the second round.

Eala now has a chance to make history and claim her first WTA singles crown, with Hungary’s Panna Udvardy, world No. 134, standing in her way. Udvardy secured her place in the final with a straightforward 6-3, 6-4 win over Russia’s Maria Kozyreva in the other semifinal.

The match will also be a chance at revenge for Eala. Udvardy ended the Filipina's run at the Oeiras Ladies Open in Portugal in April 2025, winning their round of 16 match 7-6 (7-4), 6-4.