"I think I'm still locked in. I don't think it's over yet" - Full focus on the final as Alexandra Eala reflects on stunning Osaka victory

Alexandra Eala is in the form of her life. A fantastic week in Washington has seen her take down some of the best players, most notably in an emphatic style. That trend continued against four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in a 6-4, 6-2 win to confirm her spot in the DC Open final.

It is new territory for the 21-year-old who is in a first WTA 500 final, a second on the WTA Tour following the heartbreak of the Eastbourne Open final last year when she spurned four championship points against Maya Joint.

That has come and gone, and now Eala is a more ruthless, clinical player with bags of potential not just for the future, but apparently now. Her top 20 debut is just one win away as she climbs to a career high ranking of world number 24 following her triumph over the former world number one at the DC Open.

Resisting the sheer power Osaka brings to the court, Eala held her own in valiant fashion. A late break of serve in the first set after they previously traded breaks gave the Filipino the edge. Osaka was wounded and could not muster up a response. Two more breaks of serve in the match came, both in the direction of Eala. She broke at the start and end of the second set, seeing it out with her third match point to confirm a second WTA final and another showdown against Jessica Pegula.

Despite coming into this tournament ranked inside the top 30, Eala was not seeded, showing the sheer class on display. That was obvious with a brutal opening round match against Qinwen Zheng. It could have gone so wrong after she dropped the first set, but she rallied and produced a fantastic comeback win.

That was the only set she has dropped enroute to the final. Reigning champion Leylah Fernandez was taken down before the number two seed Elina Svitolina was kept at bay for the second time in two months. Most recently, Osaka was given no chance with Eala extremely hopeful of a massive breakthrough in her career.

Speaking to former doubles icon Rennae Stubbs after the match, she was still completely focused despite having already won, showing the concentration put into that win. "Ooh, I'm not sure yet. I think I'm still locked in. I don't think it's over yet," she said.

Stubbs confirmed: "It is over!" Eala responded. "One more match, I guess. But I'm super, super happy. I think I played really well and, of course, it was such a meaningful match against a great player. So I'm really happy to have shared the court with Naomi."

It has been a brilliant week for Asian tennis with some thrilling ties. Most notably Eala's run to the final has been the standout, but her clashes against Zheng early on before an all-Asian semi-final is a huge positive for the continent.

It was also special for Eala to share the court with the former world number one. She was in awe of her opponent, which was why when she finally got over the line the realisation did not immediately hit. "Like I said, it's such an honour to share the court with her," she stated. "But with the way I approached today's match, I could never count her out. I had to stay so locked in, and I made it a point to be completely focused, which is why, even now, I'm still in that competition mode. I need a little time to let it all sink in."

As ever, the Filipino contingent in the stands did their job, filling up the stadium and offering Eala almost unprecedented support. Their reward was to see an Eala masterclass and now they will be hopeful for her to go one step further and make more history in their country.

"It helped me a lot. I'm happy that you guys enjoyed the match—or at least it sounded like you did. I think there were some really good points and some great exchanges that made it super exciting. The level here at this tournament is so high. We have the best of the best, so this tournament deserves nothing less than the best fans."

Pegula will be her toughest test of the tournament, but that makes sense being in the final. The pair have played each other once before, right at the start of Eala's WTA journey at the Miami Open in that famous semi-final run. The American spoiled the party in a tight three-set win. Eala has developed a lot since then and will fancy her chances against the number one seed in what is set to be a tantalising final.