MANILA – Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala defeated Italian Nicole Fossa Huergo, 7-6 (2), 6-2, Friday morning, Sept. 5, 2025 (PH time), to reach the Guadalajara 125 Open semifinals at the Panamerican Tennis Center hardcourt in Zapopan, Mexico.
The second-seeded Eala will face American Kayla Day, who ousted third seed and world No. 84 Emiliana Arango of Colombia, 7-5, 6-2, in the other quarterfinal match of the tournament, also known as the Abierto Zapopan.
Eala, ranked No. 75 in the world and the only remaining seeded player in the tournament, defeated Dutch Arianne Hartono, 6-2, 6-2 in the first round on Wednesday.
She then completed a come-from-behind 6-7 (3), 7-6 (3), 6-3 win over American No. 122 Varvara Lepchenko in a rain-suspended Round of 16 game.
After a short rest, the 20-year-old Filipina stayed at the top of her game and dispatched Huergo in the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, the other semifinal match features Russian Maria Kozyreva against Hungarian Panna Udvardy.
Kozyreva beat American Alana Smith, 7-6 (10), 6-4, while Udvardy stunned fourth seed British Francesca Jones, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
Top seed Russian Kamilla Rakhimova, the 2024 champion, was eliminated by 2020 Australian Open Junior champion Victoria Jimenez Kasintsev of Andorra, 1-6, 6-7 (2), in the first round. / PNA
