Playing in front of another raucous Center Court crowd, Alexandra Eala was pushed throughout by savvy veteran Sorana Cirstea, but the 20-year-old stood tall in the biggest moments to earn a 7-5, 6-4 win in 1 hour and 38 minutes.
Dubai: Scores | Draws | Order of play
The victory sends her into her first Dubai quarterfinal and sets up a highly anticipated first meeting with Coco Gauff.
“Every round is such a battle and so filled with tension,” Eala said in her on-court interview. “So I’m really happy with how I performed, and I’m really happy to be able to share it with all of you.
“The key today was staying calm and trusting my shots. I think I was very solid in particular moments where I needed to be, (and) that reflected in my performance and in the score.”
More to come…
