MANILA, Philippines – After scoring a huge upset heard all around the world, Alex Eala shared that her ability to compartmentalize helped her not to get overwhelmed by the moment in front of her.
Amid the frenzy of her meteoric rise after taking down three Grand Slam champions in the Miami Open — including longtime world No. 1 and current No. 2 Iga Swiatek — Eala will continue to keep her head down as she shifts her attention to her final four match, even as the rest of her countrymen revel in her accomplishments.
The 19-year-old will be up against a different kind of challenge when she exchanges groundstrokes with world No. 4 and billionaire heiress Jessica Pegula of the United States in the semifinals of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 1000 event on Thursday, March 27 (Friday, March 28, 8:30 am, Philippine time).
Pegula has been pretty solid in Miami, mirroring how she has been performing thus far in 2025.
But aside from being an elite athlete, Pegula is also known as the 31-year-old daughter of billionaire tycoons Terry and Kim Pegula, who made a fortune in gas and oil, and had since expanded their empire into real estate, sports, and entertainment.
The Pegulas also own the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL).
In Miami, Jessica has been tested a number of times, and each time, she has risen to the occasion and found a way to win.
She opened with a straight-set victory in the second round against world No. 84 American Bernarda Pera, 6-4, 6-4, then had to come back from a set down to eliminate former No.11 Anna Kalinskaya, 6-7(3), 6-2, 7-6(2).
Pegula easily disposed of No. 29 Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine in the fourth round, 6-2, 6-3, then had to grind out a tough 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-2 triumph over former US Open champion Emma Raducanu of Great Britain in the quarterfinals.
Thursday’s encounter will require Eala to re-strategize and possibly shift gears as she faces an opponent who plays differently compared to the previous foes she has beaten.
On her way to the semifinals, Eala had to overcome former Grand Slam winners who possessed considerable strength, with each one requiring a nuanced approach.
Against former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia and reigning Australian Open champion and world No. 5 Madison Keys, the 5-foot-9 Eala showcased her counterpunching and matched the powerful groundstrokes of her bigger foes to keep the ball in play and await the right opportunity to go for winners.
Eala then turned aggressor against the five-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek, with the Filipina teen standout hitting the ball early in her returns and during rallies to try to earn quick points, in the process, putting the former world No. 1 under constant pressure and forcing her to uncharacteristically commit a high number of errors.
Pegula does not have the booming serves and groundstrokes of any of these Grand Slam champions, just as she does not own any Grand Slam title in her collection, with her best result a runner-up finish in the 2024 US Open.
What she does possess is impeccable timing which allows her to generate the desired power to score points.
Pegula — whose biggest win yet this year came in Austin, Texas when she emerged champion of the WTA 250 ATX Open last March — is known for being an outstanding all-around player with quickness gained from her years of experience playing doubles. She made the 2022 French Open doubles finals with compatriot Coco Gauff.
At 5-foot-7, Pegula will not tower over Eala and will not be able to overwhelm the Filipina. She will attempt, however, to out-finesse and unsettle her younger foe by pushing the Filipina to cover every corner of the playing court.
At this stage in the competition, however, it appears that Eala’s confidence and self-belief will no longer be shaken, not by a top 5 ranked player nor the bright lights of the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
But Eala will have to deal with a hometown crowd who will definitely show up in droves to support the only American left in the competition.
Eala has the tools to outgun Pegula, but the history-making Filipina will need more than just brute force to down a savvy veteran.
Pegula will have less than 24 hours to recover from her quarterfinal win over Raducanu before she faces Eala, who has already proven she can vary her tactics depending on who she is up against.
The ability to adapt will be required of Eala in her bid to make the finals of a WTA event that is ranked just below the Grand Slams. – Rappler.com