Alex Eala grinds out double win in Mexico to clinch WTA 125 Guadalajara semifinal spot

Dubai: Filipina tennis star Alexandra 'Alex' Eala won two matches in a single day to advance to the Guadalajara Open semifinals.

The 20-year-old's second-round match against American Varvara Lepchenko had been stopped because of rain, leaving her with a tough three-setter to finish before she could even think about the quarterfinals. Eala, the second seed here, showed a lot of guts, winning that resumed match 6-7, 7-6, 6-3.

But it turns out, she was just getting started.

Just a couple hours later, she was back on the hard court, this time facing off with Italy’s Nicole Fossa Huergo. In what could have easily been a momentum killer, Eala instead looked sharp and confident. She took the first set in a tiebreak, then slammed the door shut in the second, winning 7-6, 6-2.

The double-header victory propels Eala into her first WTA 125 semifinal since her run to the final at Eastbourne this past June. She's been on a roll since a big breakthrough at the US Open, where she upset a higher-ranked player before bowing out in the second round.

Now, she'll face a new challenge in the form of American Kayla Day, who is also looking to make a big move. Day, like Eala, is a lefty and booked her semifinal spot by upsetting the third seed, Emiliana Arango of Colombia. This will be the first time the two rising stars have met on the tour, with the winner earning a chance to play for their first WTA tour-level title.

Eala has already shown she can handle the grind. Now the question is whether she can ride that momentum all the way to the finals.