Alexandra Eala wins the Birmingham Open for her 2nd WTA 125 singles title

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BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Alexandra Eala claimed her second WTA 125 singles title with a hard-fought victory in the Birmingham Open final against doubles partner Nikola Bartunkova on Sunday.

The top-seeded Eala battled back from a set down to beat Bartunkova 5-7, 6-3, 7-5.

Eala, who turned 21 last month, has become a worldwide sensation among the large Filipino diaspora ever since her breakthrough run to the Miami Open semifinals last year.

Her fan base then expanded again when she beat Clara Tauson in a long third-set tiebreaker in the first round at the U.S. Open for her first win in a major.

Two weeks later, Eala was the first woman representing the Philippines to win a Challenger-level WTA title when she triumphed at the Guadalajara 125 Open.

Eala, who is based at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain, attracted more attention at this year’s Australian Open — the closest Grand Slam to the Philippines.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis