Victory in the quarterfinals propels Eala forward

The Abierto Zapopan, a prestigious tennis tournament in Mexico, has seen some unexpected developments in its ongoing semifinals.

Filipino tennis player Alex Eala, currently ranked No. 75 in the world, has made a strong showing, securing her spot in the semifinals. Eala defeated Dutch player Arianne Hartono in the first round with a score of 6-2, 6-2, and followed that up with a come-from-behind win over American Varvara Lepchenko in the Round of 16 (6-7 (3), 7-6 (3), 6-3). In the quarterfinals, Eala outplayed Italian Nicole Fossa Huergo with a score of 7-6 (2), 6-2.

Eala will face American Kayla Day in the semifinals, as Day ousted third seed Emiliana Arango of Colombia. The identity of Day's next opponent is yet to be determined, as no factual information about the next round's matchups has been provided.

Hungarian Panna Udvardy also reached the semifinals, having defeated fourth seed British Francesca Jones with a score of 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. Udvardy's semifinal opponent, Russian Maria Kozyreva, advanced after defeating American Alana Smith in the quarterfinals with a score of 7-6 (10), 6-4.

The tournament, known as the Abierto Zapopan, took an unexpected turn when top seed Russian Kamilla Rakhimova, the 2024 champion, was eliminated in the first round by Victoria Jimenez Kasintsev of Andorra. Jimenez Kasintsev, the 2020 Australian Open Junior champion, defeated Rakhimova with a score of 1-6, 6-7 (2). No current ranking information for Jimenez Kasintsev was provided.

The matches took place on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, at the Panamerican Tennis Center hardcourt in Zapopan, Mexico. Eala is the only remaining seeded player in the tournament, with no earlier seeded player remaining aside from Kozyreva and Udvardy.

As the semifinals unfold, tennis fans are eager to see how these unexpected contenders will fair against their opponents. The Abierto Zapopan continues to deliver excitement and unpredictability, making it a tournament not to miss.