Filipina tennis star Alex Eala continued her strong run at the Birmingham Open in the United Kingdom after defeating Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, to secure a place in the semifinals.

The victory came more than five months after Eala defeated the same opponent in the women’s singles final of the Southeast Asian Games, where she became the first Filipina to win the event since 1999.Eala entered the match as the tournament’s top seed and showed why she was heavily favored.

Although Sawangkaew, who came into the quarterfinals on a four-match winning streak after advancing through the qualifiers, managed to take a 2-1 lead early in the second set, Eala quickly regained control.The Filipino standout won the next five consecutive games, including two service breaks, to close out the match in just 1 hour and 21 minutes.The result also allowed Eala to even her WTA head-to-head record against Sawangkaew at 1-1.Sawangkaew had previously defeated Eala in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Takasaki Open in Japan.Ranked No.37 in the world and 136 places above her Thai opponent, Eala demonstrated her superior form and consistency throughout the contest.With the win, Eala advanced to her first WTA 125 semifinal since the Jingshan Tennis Open in China in September of the previous year.She is set to face Switzerland’s Rebeka Masarova, ranked No.132 in the world, for a place in the final.

Eala is aiming to capture her second WTA 125 title after winning the Guadalajara Open in Mexico, further strengthening her growing reputation on the international tennis circuit.