Photo: Getty Images

By Joel Reyes

Alex Eala barged into the semifinals of the 2026 ASB Classic, beating Magda Linette 6-3, 6-2 on Friday at ASB Tennis Centre in Auckland, New Zealand. The Filipina tennis star needed just one hour and 38 minutes to record the straight-sets win in the quarterfinals of the women’s singles event. 

Eala entered the clash with a 0-2 record against Linette, having lost their previous two meetings at Abu Dhabi in 2024 and Nottingham in 2025. It was the 20-year-old Quezon City native who started strongly in their latest showdown, grabbing the first set 6-3 in 45 minutes.

Photo: Getty Images

Eala sustained the momentum in the second set, breaking Linette’s first two service games to race to a 4-0 lead. Linette stopped the bleeding in the fifth game, saving several break points to cut the deficit to 1-4. The fifth-seeded Polish player then broke Eala’s serve in the following game to give life to her women’s singles campaign.

Eala immediately responded, though, winning the next two games to book her spot in the semis. She will next face Xinyu Wang in the semifinals.