Alex Eala had an easy time with Ukrainian netter Dayana Yastremska, who is known for her powerful groundstrokes, and pulled off a 6-1, 6-2 upset on Thursday in the Lexus Eastbourne Open quarterfinals in Great Britain.
This put Eala in the semifinals against Varvara Gracheva when action ended at the windswept Devonshire Park court.
The 25-year old Yastremska, known for being a great mover on the court and the power of her game, proved no match for Eala’s aggressiveness.
The encounter was over in 66 minutes, with Eala scoring 20 points off her 37 first serves.
Yamstremska, also fearsome as baseline player, blasted in 11 points on her 32 first serves, and fell behind in the first set after Eala broke serve four times for a 4-1 lead.
In the second set, Eala repeated what she did in the first set, breaking the Russian’s serve four times for another 4-1 advantage.
Eala earned the final point to win the game when she attacked the net and unleashed a drop shot.
Having a tough attitude in her matches this week paid off, according to Eala post-game on what’s working well for her.
“More than anything, its just the mentality. Of course, with these great players and the tough condition, it would be hard to find a balance. But, with patience and the will to go for the ball, I did well throughout the week,” said Eala.
Meanwhile, Gracheva won by default over Barbora Krejcikova, who withdrew due to a right thigh injury, and this put her on a collision course with Eala.
Krejcikova, who is preparing to see action in Wimbledon just like Eala, felt pain on Wednesday following her second-round victory over Jodie Burrage of Britain, and pulled out after condition worsened.
Australia’s Maya Joint secured a semis ticket, with a convincing 6-4, 7-5 victory over Anna Blinkova in an hour and 47 minutes
