Alex Eala survives ‘great test,’ advances to Birmingham Open final

Philippines’ Alexandra Eala in action during her semifinal match against Rebeka Masarova, on day eight of the Lexus Birmingham Open Championships at Edgbaston Priory Club, Birmingham, England, Saturday June 6, 2026. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

MANILA, Philippines–Alex Eala’s run continued in the Birmingham Open just past midnight on Sunday (Manila time).

This time, though, it took her a while to get the win.

After easing her way into the semifinal, Eala survived her first real test in the WTA 125 tournament, overcoming Swiss Rebeka Masarova, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, to reach her first final of the season.

READ: Alex Eala beats Sawangkaew, advances to Birmingham Open semis

Eala came into her match against Masarova having won her first three matches in sweeping fashion.

The top-seeded Eala again looked well on her way to another easy win after a dominant opening set, but Masarova regrouped and let the Filipino rising star know it’s going to be a long night.

Masarova’s fightback, coupled with several rain delays that led to a pair of suspensions lasting for hours, made it an excruciatingly long match and Eala could only breathe a big sigh of relief.

“Really happy with the win today. It was such a great experience,” she said during the post-match interview.

“It was such a tough battle today. You’ll never know what’s gonna happen. Rebeka played really well, and she put me in tough spots,” she added.

READ: Alex Eala gets main draw entry to Queen’s Club Championships

Eala was on the brink of victory, up 5-2, when the rain poured and suspended the match for a second time.

“I tried to relax. You never fully let go when it’s a rain delay,” said Eala during the extended breaks.

She stayed calm even at the resumption and with Masarova mounting one last rally after taking the eighth game of the deciding set. Down 15-30 in the ninth, Eala forced a deuce and led Masarova to commit back-to-back errors to book her spot in the title round.

It only gets harder for the 21-year-old Eala in the final against Czech Nikola Bartunkova, who also served as her doubles partner in Birmingham. They bowed out early after losing their first match last Monday. Eala is 0-13 against Czechs since turning pro in 2020.

“Reaching the final is a physical feat. I’m feeling good. I think today was a great test and I’ll be ready for tomorrow.”