The CZECH-MATE paradox now separates Alexandra “Alex” Eala from holding her second world tennis crown.
Even the rain would not fall in Ms.’s competition. Eala was on her way to her first final of the year, pulling out a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 win over Swiss Rebeka Masarova at the WTA 125 Lexus Birmingham Open in a rain-delayed race on Sunday morning in England to get another shot at ending the Czech’s curse.
With not much breathing space, the top-ranked Filipina will run up to No. 5 and WTA No. 69 Nikola Bartunkova of the Czech Republic, a star-studded country that boasts a 13-0 record against her, for the No. 125 tour crown. Ms. Bartunkova defeated Ashlyn Krueger of the USA 6-4, 7-6(9-7) in a rain-interrupted match.
The duel is at press time and the 21-year-old rising star is hoping to answer the script – finally – by matching Ms. Bartunkova, who served as her doubles partner, lost 4-6, 6-2, 9-11 against Britain’s second seed Harriet Dart and Maia Lumsden in Round 1.
Her last Czech opponent was world number 10 Karolina Muchova, who scored a 6-0, 6-2 win in style in the Round of 16 of the Miami Open, underscoring the Czech players’ dominance over the left-handed ace of the Spanish Rafael Academy in Spain.
“Getting to the final is physical work. I feel good. I think (Sunday) was a good test and I will be ready for the final,” said Ms Eala after her first return to the WTA finals in nine months.
Mrs. Eala, WTA No. 37, fought No. 132 Ms. Masarova in a race that lasted just over one hour and 52 minutes, added a wicked amount to his herculean bid to win a second championship crown in the jaws of the Czech hurdle again.
The game was interrupted three times, including a silence for more than two hours due to heavy rains in Western England especially when Ms. Eala is leading 5-2 in the third set.
Mrs. Eala, whose video shared an umbrella with a Birmingham soccer girl in torrential rain, dropped the eighth rubber game on the restart but quickly recovered to hold the win to win by deuce.
It’s a shot at Ms. Eala is now on her second major crown after dominating the WTA 125 Guadalajara Open in Mexico last September. Overall, it is his third final appearance after finishing runner-up at the Lexus Eastbourne Open, also held in England last year.
Mrs. Eala looked unstoppable from the gates as they raced to a 3-0 start that set the tempo of the game before Ms. Masarov in the second with a run at 2-2.
It will be the third game of Ms. Eala 48 hours after repeating a 6-3, 6-2 victory over the Thai bet in the quarterfinals on Saturday morning, he was able to defeat his Southeast Asian rivals after a 6-1, 6-2 victory in the final of 33.rd Southeast Asian Games.
Before that, Mrs. Eala also defeated No. 143 Priscilla Hon of Australia, 6-0, 6-2, and 130 Alina Charaeva of Russia, 6-2, 7-5, in the first two rounds of the grass season leading to the queens’ tournament which is Wimbledon on June 29 in London.
After Birmingham, Ms. Eala is also listed at the WTA 500 HSBC Championships in London, also known as the Queen’s Club Championships, from June 8 to 14, and the WTA 500 Bad Homburg Open from June 21 to 27 in Germany in a historic tie with former world No. 1 and seven-time Slam winner Venus Williams. – John Bryan Ulanday
