TORONTO — For the third straight match, Alexandra Eala was pushed to a deciding set. And for the third straight time, the 20-year-old Filipina found a way to win.
Eala overcame American Caty McNally, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, on Friday night to reach the fourth round of the National Bank Open in Toronto and extend her career-best winning streak to seven matches.
Playing before an electric Centre Court crowd filled with Filipino fans waving flags, Eala recovered from a slow start and an early break deficit to take the opening set 6-3.
The second set turned into a back-and-forth battle. Both players exchanged two service breaks before Eala broke again to take a 5-4 lead and serve for the match.
McNally refused to let her go quietly.
The American won three straight games to steal the set, 7-5, and force a decider.
Eala quickly regained her composure. She broke McNally at her first opportunity in the third set to take a 2-0 lead, then held off the American the rest of the way to seal the victory in 2 hours, 39 minutes.
“I think I survived that one,” Eala said during her on-court interview. “It was so tough. I wanna thank Caty for a great match and for being a great sport. It’s one of those matches that could’ve gone either way. It was down to details and a little bit of luck. It was a great match.”
The victory extended Eala’s longest winning streak to seven matches after she captured her first WTA singles title at the Washington Open earlier this week.
Bencic survives Townsend marathon
Waiting for Eala in the fourth round is former champion and No. 12 seed Belinda Bencic, who outlasted American Taylor Townsend in a 3-hour, 24-minute marathon shortly before Eala finished her match.
Townsend built an early 5-2 lead in the opening set but surrendered the advantage before eventually taking the set in a tiebreak on her sixth set point.
Neither player managed a service break in the second set, sending it to another tiebreak. This time, Bencic prevailed to force a deciding set.
Bencic struck first in the third set, breaking Townsend for a 3-1 lead. Townsend fought back to level at 4-4, but Bencic broke again in the ninth game and served out the 6-7 (5), 7-6 (4), 6-4 victory.
“It was a very big battle, of course,” Bencic said during her on-court interview. “I think Taylor plays incredibly tricky and it was a very good match from her. I needed some time to get used to her game and try to find inside my game, play what I can. I felt very frustrated in the first set, but I’m happy that I never gave up and I think that’s the most important.”
The fourth-round match will be Eala’s first tour-level meeting with Bencic.
Bencic is seeking her fourth National Bank Open quarterfinal, while Eala will try to reach her third WTA 1000 quarterfinal of the season. WTA
