Alex Eala wins first Filipino WTA title at Guadalajara Open 125

Alex Eala captured her first WTA title on Sunday, overturning an early deficit to beat Hungary’s Panna Udvardy 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 in the final of the Guadalajara Open 125 in Zapopan, Mexico, completing the comeback in about two hours and 31 minutes and becoming the first Filipino to win a WTA tournament.

Eala, 20, had reached the title match after a straight-sets semifinal victory over American Kayla Day, 6-2, 6-3, and then recovered from a rapid opening set loss to take control against world No. 134 Udvardy. After Udvardy broke four times to open the match, Eala rallied in a tense second set that included an extended eighth game and a sequence in which she saved four break points in the 12th game to force a decider. The Filipina dominated the final set, holding all four of her service games and breaking Udvardy in the closing game with a sharp backhand return.

The victory capped a breakthrough fortnight for Eala following her historic main-draw win at the US Open, where she became the first Filipino in the Open era to win a Grand Slam singles match. It also avenged a defeat to Udvardy in April at the Oeiras Open in Portugal, with the win now leaving their head-to-head record even....