Alex Eala Crushes World No. 8 Paolini at Dubai Tennis Championships
Filipino tennis sensation Alexandra 'Alex' Eala delivered one of her finest performances yet, stunning World No. 8 Jasmine Paolini of Italy 6-1, 7-6 (5) to advance to the third round (round of 16) of the Dubai Tennis Championships in the United Arab Emirates.
The match concluded in the early hours of Wednesday Manila time, with Eala — currently ranked World No. 47 — putting on a masterclass in her first set before digging deep in a nail-biting second set tiebreaker against Paolini, the reigning 2024 Dubai champion.
This marks Eala's third career win against a top-10 player, joining her victories over Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek at the Miami Open last year — a stat that underlines the 23-year-old's rise as a legitimate force on the WTA tour.
The second set was a dramatic affair. Eala had three match points in the ninth game but could not convert, then trailed 5-6 and had to save two set points just to push the frame to a tiebreaker. In the tiebreak, she was the steadier player, closing out the match with a 3-1 run capped by a forehand winner.
'In the tiebreak, I was trying everything to keep myself in check,' Eala said in her post-match court interview. 'In the change of ends, I was thinking this stadium is full of Filipinos. I thought about how many of them are probably praying for me to win. I really have to give everything I got.'
'All the emotions are coming. The tension was so high, especially during the 2nd set. I'm really happy to have gotten through,' she added. 'She's a great opponent, obviously being top 10 and a former champion here, so to be able to compete with her at this level is a great achievement for me.'
The victory has immediate benefits for Eala's rankings, pushing her from 47th to 38th in the WTA live rankings after earning 120 ranking points for reaching the round of 16.
Next up for Eala is a rematch against Romania's No. 32 Sorana Cirstea, who eliminated No. 14 Linda Noskova 6-1, 6-4 in the second round. Their only previous meeting ended in a three-set defeat for Eala at the 2024 Madrid Open, giving her added motivation for the quarterfinals clash.
A win over Cirstea would further boost Eala's live ranking points from 120 to 215 and secure her a coveted quarterfinals berth at one of the WTA 1000's most prestigious tournaments.
Source: The Manila Times (https://www.manilatimes.net/2026/02/19/sports/eala-stuns-world-no-8-paolini-in-dubai/2280165)
