(UPDATE) ALEX Eala of the Philippines topped Varvara Gracheva of France three sets, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, to start her Nottingham Open qualifiers in England on Saturday night (Manila time).
Eala faces Anca Todoni of Romania in the final round of the qualifiers with the winner advancing to the main draw.
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With Gracheva getting back in the second set, Eala started strong in the third frame and broke the French netter’s serve for a 5-2 game lead.
Gracheva broke back to pull within two but Eala returned the favor to close the match.
The 24-year-old Gracheva and 20-year-old Eala went neck-to-neck in their breaking game with the former scoring five points and the latter seven.
In service game, World No. 77 Eala claimed eight while World No. 110 Gracheva grabbed seven.
Winning nine straight points and five straight games was Eala’s highlight in the match.
For comparison, Gracheva’s best was winning six straight points and three straight games.
Eala is coming off a 6-1, 0-6, 6-7(4) quarterfinal exit at the Ilkley Open last Friday, seeking to bounce back in this Nottingham tiff.