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Alex Eala’s Dubai run ends as Gauff cruises to straight-set win

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It was one of those nights when nothing seemed to go right for Alex Eala under the bright lights of Center Court at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium.

Despite having the crowd firmly behind her, the Filipina standout could not turn the energy in her favor — and unfortunately for her, it came against one of the very best in the sport.

World No. 4 Coco Gauff of the United States proved too much for Eala, powering to a commanding 6-0, 6-2 victory in the quarterfinals of the WTA Dubai Tennis Championships on Thursday.

Eala entered the match brimming with confidence after scoring a pair of impressive wins, dispatching World No. 8 Jasmine Paolini of Italy and recent Transylvania Open champion Sorana Cirstea in the earlier rounds.

But the 20-year-old could not find her rhythm this time. Gauff stormed out of the gates and delivered a “bagel” in the opening set, wrapping it up in just 27 minutes.

Gauff’s athleticism ultimately proved decisive.

Time and again, she tracked down Eala’s down-the-line drives — shots that would have been clean winners against most opponents.

A two-time Grand Slam champion and former World No. 2, Gauff showed why she is an elite force, continuing her relentless pace in the second set to build a 4-0 cushion.

Eala finally got on the board in the fifth game, holding serve for the first time in the match.

She followed it up with her first service break to trim the deficit to 4-2, briefly threatening a shift in momentum and drawing loud cheers from the pro-Eala crowd.

But Gauff quickly shut the door, taking the next two games to seal the win in just one hour and seven minutes.

Despite the setback, it was still a strong showing overall for Eala in Dubai.

She reached her second career WTA 1000 quarterfinal and is projected to climb to a new career-high ranking of No. 32 in the world when the updated rankings are released on Monday.

The post Alex Eala’s Dubai run ends as Gauff cruises to straight-set win appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.

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ZUS Coffee to grace Mighty Sports Center volleyball court launch

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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.

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Golden Eaglets begin U17 AFCON qualifiers vs Cote d’Ivoire

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The Golden Eaglets of Nigeria will begin their qualifying campaign for the U17 AFCON against Cote d’Ivoire next week Wednesday.

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.

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Alex Eala, Shaira Rivera roll into Asian Games doubles second round

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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.

2026-Asian-Games-Alex-Eala-1 Alex Eala, Shaira Rivera roll into Asian Games doubles second round News Tennis  - philippine sports news

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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.

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