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Alex Eala Captures Birmingham Open Crown
Photo credit: Alex Eala
Alex Eala added another milestone to her growing tennis career after pulling off a thrilling comeback victory to win the Birmingham Open title in the United Kingdom.
The Filipino tennis star, seeded first in the tournament, outlasted fifth-seeded Czech player Nikola Bartunkova in a hard-fought three-set final, 5-7, 6-3, 7-5, at the Edgbaston Priory Club on Sunday night.
The victory handed Eala her second WTA 125 singles title, following her triumph at the Guadalajara Open in Mexico last year. It was also her first career title on grass, a significant achievement as she continues to climb the professional ranks.
Reflecting on the tense closing moments of the match, Eala admitted she knew she had to stay aggressive.
"It was a really tight moment and I knew that if I didn’t go for it, Nikki would go for it," Eala said after the match. "It’s one of those days where a little bit of luck and intention was what got me through."
The road to the championship was anything but easy. Eala opened her campaign with dominant wins over Australia's Priscilla Hon and Russia's Alina Charaeva before advancing past Thailand's Mananchaya Sawangkaew in the quarterfinals.
She then booked her place in the final by defeating Swiss qualifier Rebeka Masarova in three sets.
Sawangkaew, one of Eala's familiar rivals, was also the player she defeated in the women's singles final of the Southeast Asian Games last December, ending the Philippines' 26-year wait for a gold medal in the event.
Interestingly, Eala and Bartunkova were doubles partners earlier in the tournament. Their partnership, however, ended in the opening round after a narrow loss to British duo Harriet Dart and Maia Lumsden.
Despite the doubles setback, Eala found success where it mattered most, lifting the singles trophy after one of her toughest matches of the week.
Bartunkova also enjoyed an impressive run to the final, knocking out several strong opponents, including Britain's Harriet Dart, fellow Czech Gabriela Knutson, British youngster Mika Stojsavljevic, and American Ashlyn Krueger.
In the end, though, it was Eala who stood tallest, proving once again why she remains one of the brightest rising stars in world tennis.
The Filipino tennis star, seeded first in the tournament, outlasted fifth-seeded Czech player Nikola Bartunkova in a hard-fought three-set final, 5-7, 6-3, 7-5, at the Edgbaston Priory Club on Sunday night.
The victory handed Eala her second WTA 125 singles title, following her triumph at the Guadalajara Open in Mexico last year. It was also her first career title on grass, a significant achievement as she continues to climb the professional ranks.
Reflecting on the tense closing moments of the match, Eala admitted she knew she had to stay aggressive.
"It was a really tight moment and I knew that if I didn’t go for it, Nikki would go for it," Eala said after the match. "It’s one of those days where a little bit of luck and intention was what got me through."
The road to the championship was anything but easy. Eala opened her campaign with dominant wins over Australia's Priscilla Hon and Russia's Alina Charaeva before advancing past Thailand's Mananchaya Sawangkaew in the quarterfinals.
She then booked her place in the final by defeating Swiss qualifier Rebeka Masarova in three sets.
Sawangkaew, one of Eala's familiar rivals, was also the player she defeated in the women's singles final of the Southeast Asian Games last December, ending the Philippines' 26-year wait for a gold medal in the event.
Interestingly, Eala and Bartunkova were doubles partners earlier in the tournament. Their partnership, however, ended in the opening round after a narrow loss to British duo Harriet Dart and Maia Lumsden.
Despite the doubles setback, Eala found success where it mattered most, lifting the singles trophy after one of her toughest matches of the week.
Bartunkova also enjoyed an impressive run to the final, knocking out several strong opponents, including Britain's Harriet Dart, fellow Czech Gabriela Knutson, British youngster Mika Stojsavljevic, and American Ashlyn Krueger.
In the end, though, it was Eala who stood tallest, proving once again why she remains one of the brightest rising stars in world tennis.
Jun 8, 2026
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