By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday March 27, 2025
Alexandra Eala was finally stopped in Miami, as Jessica Pegula ended her run to keep hers alive.
Photo Source: Matthew Calvis
Alexandra Eala’s riveting run at the Miami Open has finally come to an end.
The talented left-hander, a bundle of energy who made history for the Philippines and herself this week by defeating three former Grand Slam champions and two Top-5 players, fell to Jessica Pegula in semifinal action on Thursday night in Miami, 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-3.
It took an inspired effort from Pegula, who had to rally from 5-2 in the opening set against the 140th-ranked wild card, and would later face a set point with Eala serving at 5-3, 40-30.
Eala, a free-spirited, free-swinging ball of energy, would hit back, claiming the second set from 3-1 down, before
Pegula battled through a tense final set to take her place in the final alongside Aryna Sabalenka.
"I kind of let up at 3-1 and I felt like I totally let her back in the match, but she started ripping the balls, going for her shots," Pegula said. "Sometimes you have to weather the storm with people like that. I wish I would have gotten it done in two, but happy with the way I fought in the third."
It wasn't the result Eala wanted but she can hold her head high.
The former junior No.2 from Quezon City became the lowest-ranked player in Miami Open history to defeat a Top-2 player when she knocked off Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals. She will rise from 140 to 75 in Monday’s WTA rankings, and she will be the first player from the Philippines to ever hold a Top 100 ranking.
Playing with strapping on her right thigh, and dealing with a left ankle issue that she picked up while tumbling early in the second set, the feisty southpaw rallied from a break down in the second set to level up with Pegula at 3-all in the second set.
She then broke for 4-3 as Pegula dumped a makeable backhand into the net.
Pegula broke back for 4-4, but was broken again for 6-5 by Eala, who upped her average forehand groundstroke speed to 82 MPH during the game (up from an average of 70, per Tennis Channel). Now peppering Pegula with flat, aggressive groundstrokes, Eala broke in the next game to take the set, 7-5.
I think she just started going for her shots and playing super-aggressive and it was working. I wasn't that surprised. You know, you don't beat the players that she's beat this week and not go in thinking she can play ball.
Pegula, ever the consummate pro, kept her nerve in spite of the steady array of flat groundstrokes that were whizzing in her direction from the side of the fiery Filipina in the third. She weathered the storm and eventually pulled away as Eala went cold and sprayed too many errors in the final three games.
Afterwards, the budding star's tennis got rave reviews from Pegula.
"She's just a really good player," Pegula said. "She reminds me of a Leylah Fernandez. Takes the ball super early, uses the angles really well, uses the line forehand really well, and competes and sees the court. She definitely takes the ball early, anticipates well, looks to move in. Yeah, all those things are going to take her far."
Pegula reaches her first Miami Open final, and her sixth at the WTA 1000 level. She is 19-5 lifetime in Miami.
Sabalenka, who defeated Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-2 in Thursday’s first semifinal, owns a 6-2 lifetime edge over Pegula. She defeated the American in their last meeting in the US Open final, 7-5, 7-5, and in last year's Cincinnati final, 6-3, 7-5.
"I think she's just a little bit better than me, results-wise, winning Australia, winning US Open, beating me Cincy, US Open," Pegula said. "It's going to be tough. Hopefully I can get the better of her here. That would be awesome.
"I'm also really proud that I can put myself up there with one of the best hard court players in the world. Making another final of a 1000 is huge."