WTA Abu Dhabi Open | Epic Alexandra Eala completes miracle comeback while Alexandrova seals top-10 return

The WTA 500 Abu Dhabi Open continues to be played at the start of the Middle East swing, and the four quarter-finalists of the tournament were decided, on a day marked by the withdrawal of defending champion Belinda Bencic, who will lose her place in the Top 10 after spending several weeks among the very best.

Alexandra Eala advanced in dramatic fashion, securing a stunning comeback victory over Aliaksandra Sasnovich to reach the quarter-finals, while Jelena Ostapenko was also eliminated. Ekaterina Alexandrova benefited from Bencic’s withdrawal and, with her victory over Dayana Yastremska, is set to take over the Swiss player’s position as the new World No. 10 in the next ranking update.

Ekaterina Alexandrova quietly secured her return to the Top 10, taking advantage of Bencic’s withdrawal, but also by claiming her first win of the tournament against a complicated rival such as Dayana Yastremska (No. 43). The 31-year-old Russian snapped a run of three consecutive defeats over the past month and prevailed with a commanding 6-3, 6-0 victory in just 71 minutes.

In the first set, the dominance quickly shifted in Alexandrova’s favour, as she grabbed two consecutive early breaks and, with impeccable service games, surged ahead to a 4-0 lead. Yastremska was even exposed to three additional break points before holding serve for the first time and gaining a few minutes of recovery, winning the next three games in a row and closing the gap to 3-4. However, those proved to be the last moments in which she could keep up the pace. An inspired Alexandrova claimed the next two games in a row, closing out the set 6-3.

The second set was complete domination from the Russian, who extended her run to eight games in a row. Alexandrova delivered a bagel in just over half an hour and sealed the victory 6-3, 6-0 in a match in which she won 63% of her service points and 58% of return points, converted 6 of 9 break opportunities, while Yastremska managed to convert only 1 of 5. Alexandrova will now await Alexandra Eala in the quarter-finals.

Sasnovich proved a tough opponent, despite currently being outside the Top 100. A former Top 30 player, injuries had caused her drop in the rankings. This week she came through qualifying and opened with a win over Paula Badosa, arriving at her clash with Eala full of confidence. However, the crowd overwhelmingly supported the Filipina, and Eala rose to the occasion, producing a remarkable comeback in the third set tie-break to secure the victory and advance in Abu Dhabi.

Sasnovich took control in the first set, capitalising on Eala’s deficiencies on first serve (just 50% effectiveness compared to 88% for Sasnovich). The World No. 109 was impeccable on serve and did not even face a single break point, while Eala committed three double faults and dropped her serve twice. Sasnovich moved ahead 6-2 in just 35 minutes.

The second set began with Eala once again surrendering her serve, and things became complicated for the 20-year-old, who fought hard throughout the set, even though she consistently wasted break opportunities (a total of 10 missed in the set, also largely due to Sasnovich’s consistency). Eala maintained pressure on her rival, and when Sasnovich served to stay in the match, Eala seized a crucial break to take the set 6-4.

In the third set, Eala initially fell behind, as Sasnovich secured two consecutive breaks to move ahead 4-0. With the crowd fully behind her, Eala began her comeback, recovering one of the breaks.

The duel turned into a rollercoaster in the final minutes—with great involvement from the crowd, who watched as Eala came back from a double break down at 2-5, saved a match point during the return, and managed to bring everything to 5-5. Both players held a final service game before heading into the tie-break, in which Eala completed the miraculous comeback, winning the last three points consecutively to seal the triumph 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(5).

Today was expected to mark the debut of defending champion Belinda Bencic against Sonay Kartal. However, the Swiss player withdrew at the last moment due to illness and was ultimately replaced by lucky loser Renata Zarazúa. For Bencic, the decision means losing 500 points and automatically dropping out of the Top 10, also ensuring Ekaterina Alexandrova’s return to that elite group.

Zarazúa’s entry into the draw did not last long, as she fell in straight sets to an imposing Kartal, who seized the opportunity to face a lower-ranked opponent and, with the rhythm she brought from qualifying, claimed her fourth consecutive win in Abu Dhabi with a 6-0, 6-3 victory.

In the quarter-finals, Kartal will face 20-year-old Sara Bejlek, who secured one of the biggest wins of her career by defeating World No. 24 Jelena Ostapenko, the former Roland Garros champion. In a tight first set, in which Ostapenko even held a break advantage, Bejlek stepped on the accelerator at a key moment, securing the decisive break in the 10th game to take the lead.

The Czech’s strong first serve kept her in control during the second set, and she did not succumb to the pressure, holding serve when it mattered to close out the win 6-4, 6-3. Bejlek has already guaranteed a rise of nearly 30 positions in the rankings and will reach a new career-high as World No. 72 in the upcoming update.