Filipino tennis standout Alex Eala is set to reach a new career-high ranking of No. 49 in the Women’s Tennis Association singles rankings after advancing to the semifinals of the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand.
The 20-year-old Eala lost in Saturday’s semifinal to China’s Wang Xinyu, ranked No. 57, in a three-set marathon, 7-5, 5-7, 6-4. The match lasted 2 hours and 48 minutes.
Eala, currently ranked No. 53, earned a net gain of 83 points from her semifinal appearance in the WTA 250-level tournament, bringing her total to 1,159 points. The updated rankings will be official on Monday.
She held a match point in the ninth game of the second set but was unable to convert. Eala mounted comebacks in both the first and third sets, erasing 1-5 deficits, but Wang held on to advance to the final.
Eala is scheduled to play next in an exhibition event at the Kooyong Classic in Melbourne from Jan. 13-15, followed by the main draw of the Australian Open beginning Jan. 18.
