News
Alex Eala advances in Dubai Open as Hailey Baptiste retires
Aiming to make up for her first-round exit in Doha the previous week, Alex Eala was firing on all cylinders as she methodically dismantled Hailey Baptiste of the United States in the opening set before the American retired in the second.
The Filipina ace secured a 6-4, 0-1 (ret) victory in the first round of the 2026 Dubai Tennis Championships on Sunday.
Baptiste entered the main draw as a Lucky Loser after dropping her final qualifying match, where she had been the top seed.
The 24-year-old American, however, has had a strong start to her 2026 season, reaching the third round of the Australian Open in January and the semifinals of the WTA 500 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open earlier this month, helping her climb to a career-high ranking of 39th in the world.
Eala, now also ranked a career-high 40th, drew inspiration from their previous encounter when she defeated Baptiste in three sets in the qualifiers of the 2025 WTA 250 Eastbourne Open last June.
The first set was a tightly contested affair, tied at 3-3 after an exchange of service breaks.
Eala pulled ahead by breaking Baptiste again in the seventh game and then holding serve to go up 5-3. Baptiste attempted to narrow the gap at 5-4, but Eala comfortably held serve in the 10th game to take the set.
Playing the first featured match of the evening at Center Court of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium, Eala delighted the predominantly Filipino crowd with her trademark scrambling defense and versatile shot-making, which effectively neutralized Baptiste’s powerful groundstrokes.
The second set promised another close battle as the two players battled through a first game filled with multiple deuces.
Eala had four break-point opportunities, but Baptiste managed to hold serve. That proved to be Baptiste’s final resistance, as she retired during the changeover due to a reported abdominal injury.
The 20-year-old Eala will have a day to recover before returning to action on Tuesday, when she will face a tough challenge against world No. 8 Jasmine Paolini of Italy, who received a first-round bye.
The 30-year-old Paolini, a finalist at both the 2024 French Open and Wimbledon, reached a career-high No. 4 ranking last year, making her a formidable opponent for the rising Filipina star.
The post Alex Eala advances in Dubai Open as Hailey Baptiste retires appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
Two weeks after inaugurating its basketball courts, Mighty Sports Center will officially open its volleyball courts at AcroCity in Guiguinto, Bulacan, on Saturday, October 10, in what promises to be another festive affair.
Rising star Jolina Dela Cruz and veterans Jovelyn Gonzaga and Rachell Anne Daquiz, along with the rest of the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles, will join the celebration dubbed “SET.SPIKE.PLAY.”
AcroCity and Czark Mak chairman Caesar Wongchuking, a longtime sports patron, said that aside from the exhibition match between ZUS Coffee and the Makata Selection of Bulacan at 4 p.m., the event will also feature a meet-and-greet session where fans can interact with their PVL idols.
“Just like the inauguration of the basketball courts, fans can interact with these professional volleyball players,” said Wongchuking. “It’s our own little way to giving back to communities.”
Wongchuking added that proceeds from the event will go to Tahanang Mapagpala of Immaculada Concepcion Foundation, Inc. He also thanked ZUS Coffee owner Frank Lao for allowing his players to take part in the celebration.
Also expected to grace the event are Bulacan Vice Governor Alex Castro and Malolos City Mayor Christian Natividad.
The volleyball courts are part of the Mighty Sports Center at AcroCity, a development envisioned as a “Live, Work, Play” destination in Guiguinto.
Aside from its basketball and volleyball courts and modern fitness center, AcroCity is also home to Acro Residences Hotel, restaurants such as Cafe de Margaux and Mt. Fuji, and event venues including Ang Hardin and NDW Plaza, which is named after the Wongchuking family matriarch, Nelia D. Wongchuking.
The post ZUS Coffee to grace Mighty Sports Center volleyball court launch appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
The Golden Eaglets of Nigeria will begin their qualifying campaign for the U17 AFCON against Cote d’Ivoire next week Wednesday.
The match schedule is out!
Ouagadougou will host the WAFU B U-17 AFCON Qualifying Tournament Burkina Faso 2026 from 10 to 23 October 2026.
West Africa’s best U-17 teams will battle for qualification to the U-17 AFCON.
Check out the official match schedule!
#WAFUB #U17AFCON #BurkinaFaso2026 #RoadToAFCON #YouthFootball #AfricanFootball
#UFOAB #WAFUB #U17AFCON #BurkinaFaso2026 #RoadToAFCON #YouthFootball
— CAF ZONE OUEST B (@CafZoneOuestB) October 7, 2026
Their other Group B match will be against Niger three days later.
The WAFU B U17 AFCON qualifying tournament will kick off Saturday, when hosts Burkina Faso take on Benin and Ghana square up against Togo.
Burkina Faso head Group A, whose overall winners will face runners-up in Group B for a place in the championship game.
The post Golden Eaglets begin U17 AFCON qualifiers vs Cote d’Ivoire first appeared on Score Nigeria.
Alex Eala and Shaira Rivera hurdled their first test as a doubles pair, defeating Hong Kong’s Kallista Liu and Lai Ching Laam, 6-1, 6-3, in the opening round of the women’s doubles tournament at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 on Tuesday.
With the outdoor courts washed out by continuous rain, Eala and Rivera had their original schedule pushed back to the evening. The long delay, however, did little to disrupt their rhythm as they quickly took control of the match.
Eala, ranked No. 127 in the world in doubles, and Rivera, a standout at NCAA Division II school University of West Alabama, needed little time to jell as a pair.
(C) POC Media
After their opponents held serve in the opening game, the Filipinas rattled off six straight games to take the first set in just 33 minutes.
The second set lasted a bit longer, but Eala and Rivera remained in control for most of the way to seal the victory at the Higashiyama Park Tennis Center.
The road ahead, however, will be considerably tougher in the second round. Eala and Rivera will face doubles specialists and third seeds Jiang Xinyu and Yang Zhaoxuan of China.
The 27-year-old Jiang is ranked No. 22 in the world in doubles and recently reached the Wimbledon semifinals. Then Yang, 31, has a career-high doubles ranking of No. 9 and has also reached the semifinals of the French Open.
Both Filipinas are also into the next round in their other competitions — Rivera with partner Francis Alcantara in mixed doubles, and Eala in the women’s singles.
The post Alex Eala, Shaira Rivera roll into Asian Games doubles second round appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
-
Athletics1 week agoAbeokuta 10km Race winners praise organisers after ₦6m prize payout
-
Featured2 months ago
Bet9ja Foundation Ex-Internationals Cup: Babington Lift Giant Trophy, Pocket ₦2.5m After 3–1 Final Win
-
Basketball6 months agoPBA slaps ₱20k fine on Calvin Abueva for F2 upgrade vs Magnolia
-
DLSU8 months agoShan Nunag shows composure beyond year in La Salle debut
-
News8 months agoCamilla Lamina shows calm leadership even off the bench
-
Football8 months ago
2026 Uganda Cup: The confirmed fixtures, venues & kick off times at round of 32
-
Foreign Pros8 months ago
‘Eric Chelle must pay compensation to quit Super Eagles post’
-
Football8 months ago
Divine Mukasa plays full time as Leicester City bows out of FA Cup to Southampton