MANILA – Filipino Alexandra Eala defeated Thai Mananchaya Sawangkaew, 6-3, 6-2, in the Lexus Birmingham Open quarterfinals at the Edgbaston Priory Club in the United Kingdom Friday night.
The World No. 37 is now 2-0 against Sawangkaew, whom she beat, 6-1, 6-2, in the gold medal match at the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand last December, ending the Philippines’ 26-year gold medal drought in women’s singles.
Eala, playing in her first grass-court tournament this season, will face Swiss Rebecca Masarova on Saturday night.
Masarova, ranked No. 132 in the world, prevailed over American Mary Stolana, 6-4, 3-6, 6-0, in the other quarterfinal match.
In the doubles, Eala and Czech Nikola Bartunkova lost to No. 2 British pair Dart Harriet and Maia Lumsden, 4-6, 6-2, 11-9, in the Round of 16.
Meanwhile, Bartunkova kept her title hopes alive in the singles, marching to the Final Four against American Amy Krueger.
World No. 69 Bartunkova survived British Mika Stojsavljevic, 6-4, 6-7(8), 7-6(4). Krueger, on the other hand, prevailed over Australian Taylah Preston, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Eala set up a rematch with Sawangkaew following a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Russian Alina Charaeva on Thursday.
Eala had also beaten Charaeva, 6-1, 6-2, at the WTA 125 Manila Round of 32 in January.
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