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Alex Eala out for redemption vs vet Cirstea in Dubai third round
Alex Eala is just one win away from making her second quarterfinal appearance in a WTA 1000 tournament.
But first, she must overcome a seasoned Romanian veteran who has been playing freely and winning consistently after announcing her plans to retire at the end of the 2026 season.
The world No. 47 Eala will face world No. 32 Sorana Cirstea in the final match on Center Court in the third round of the WTA Dubai Tennis Championships on Thursday at 12:10 AM, Manila time.
Cirstea is coming off a triumph at the WTA 250 Transylvania Open just over a week ago on her home soil, where she dominated former US Open champion and top seed Emma Raducanu of Great Britain in the final, 6-0, 6-2.
The 35-year-old Romanian started the year by reaching the third round of the WTA 1000 Brisbane International, scoring straight-set victories over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia and former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia. She later fell to world No. 1 and eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.
At the Australian Open, she defeated Eva Lys of Germany in the opening round but was stopped in the second round by former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka of Japan.
Eala, ranked No. 170 at the time, previously faced Cirstea in the first round of the 2024 WTA 1000 Madrid Open.
The Romanian, then ranked 30th, edged out the 18-year-old Filipina in a hard-fought match, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-4.
Cirstea is known for her blistering serves, recorded as fast as 175 km/h, and her powerful forehand.
At her peak, she can overwhelm opponents with her strength and aggressive style of play.
Eala, meanwhile, is slowly building a reputation for having one of the most resilient defenses on the pro tour.
To succeed, she will need to stay alert and retrieve Cirstea’s attacking groundstrokes consistently.
If the young Filipina can showcase her signature scrambling returns and extend rallies, she stands a chance of frustrating Cirstea, who can become erratic when she is unable to hit quick winners.
Both players have impressed in Dubai so far. Eala advanced with straight-set wins over recent WTA Abu Dhabi semifinalist Hailey Baptiste of the United States and world No. 8 Jasmine Paolini of Italy.
Cirstea, for her part, defeated Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus and 10th seed Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic.
The winner of the Eala-Cirstea clash will advance to the quarterfinals to face the victor of the match between world No. 4 Coco Gauff of the United States and world No. 22 Elise Mertens of Belgium.
The post Alex Eala out for redemption vs vet Cirstea in Dubai third round appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
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Eya Laure powers Choco Mucho to back-to-back wins in PVL AFC, downs skidding Nxled
Eya Laure took control in the clutch as Choco Mucho extended its surge, handing Nxled its third straight loss with a hard-fought four-set 27-25, 28-26, 16-25, 25-19 victory in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference on Tuesday at the Filoil Centre.
Playing off the bench to manage an abdominal strain, Laure sparked the Flying Titans’ stunning comeback from a 9-15 deficit in the fourth set, unleashing a 16-4 finishing run that gave the team their first winning streak of the conference and evened their record at 3-3.
Facing a six-point deficit, Choco Mucho responded with a seven-point swing to take a narrow 16-15 lead. Brooke Van Sickle and Lyann de Guzman countered with back-to-back points to help the Chameleons retake the lead.
However, Laure took over, delivering six points in a 9-3 run that sealed the win for the Flying Titans.
Laure, who came off the bench in the first through fourth sets before starting in the fifth, finished with 13 points—all from attacks—in Choco Mucho’s two-hour triumph, as the team bounced back emphatically from a three-game skid.
“Sobrang happy ako sa naging performance ng team namin kasi ‘yun naman talaga ‘yung hinahanap namin sa kanila, kung paano kami maglaro,” said Flying Titans head coach Dante Alinsunurin.
“Although may mga problema nung first set, talagang sabi ko nga sa kanila, sila lang talaga ‘yung makakakuha ng solusyon kung ano ang gagawin namin. Ayun, naging maganda naman ‘yung takbo ng team. Sobrang thankful kami sa panalo,” he added.
Sisi Rondina led Choco Mucho with 24 points on 21 attacks, two aces, and one kill block, along with 20 excellent receptions and eight excellent digs.
Kat Tolentino added 15 points, while Lorraine Pecana and Des Cheng contributed eight and seven points, respectively.
Deanna Wong orchestrated the offense with 24 excellent sets, and Thang Ponce recorded 21 excellent digs.
Choco Mucho will aim for a third straight win when they face Farm Fresh next Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at the same venue.
Meanwhile, Nxled’s struggles continued as they dropped their third consecutive loss, sliding to 3-3 after winning their first three games.
Van Sickle tallied 20 points on 17 attacks, two service aces, and one kill block, along with 18 excellent receptions, while MJ Phillips added 13 points.
The road only gets tougher for Nxled as they prepare to face Creamline on Saturday at 4 p.m. at the Filoil Centre in San Juan, hoping to end their slump.
The post Eya Laure powers Choco Mucho to back-to-back wins in PVL AFC, downs skidding Nxled appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
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Eya Laure enjoys facing sis EJ, grateful for ‘other ate’ Sisi Rondina’s support
Eya Laure made sure to savor the rare opportunity to share the court with her sister EJ.
Though they stood on opposite sides of the net on Tuesday, the moment was one she deeply appreciated — a meaningful chapter in their shared journey after years of playing side by side from college to their early days in the Premier Volleyball League with Chery Tiggo.
“Actually, namimiss ko siya kasama,” said Eya following Choco Mucho’s 27-25, 28-26, 16-25, 25-19 win over EJ’s Nxled in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference at the Filoil Centre.
“Pero iba pala yung feeling kapag kalaban ko siya. Kasi last na nakalaban ko siya, parang high school pa ako, tas college na, nagtu-tune up kami.”
That appreciation, however, did not erase the unfamiliarity of facing her sister as an opponent.
Still, Eya said she was simply happy to see her sister back on the same court with her, even if it meant standing on opposite sides of the net.
“Masaya lang ako, masaya ako na sabay kaming nakakapaglaro until now. Nakakatuwa kasi siyempre, parang pagka nakikita ko siyang pumapalo, alam ko na kaagad kung saan siya pupunta e,” said the Alas Pilipinas standout.
Eya came up big for the Flying Titans, scoring six of the team’s final 10 points to fuel a comeback from a 9-15 deficit in the fourth set and help secure their second consecutive win. She finished with 13 points on 13 attacks in the two-hour victory.
Meanwhile, EJ registered three points, playing only in the first two sets of the tightly contested match.
“Parang gano’n, sabi ko, gano’n ako ka-familiar sa ate ko. Na-miss ko rin kasi, siyempre, last namin, last kaming nagkasama, is last year? Last, last year. So ayun, parang iba lang yung feeling na ate mo yung kalaban mo,” Eya said.
Despite her heroics, Eya admitted it was a tough match, managing an abdominal strain along the way. She was, however, grateful to have another sister, Sisi Rondina, by her side, helping her navigate the challenges on the court.
“Pero buti na lang nandiyan si Ate Sisi sa side ko na ‘to tap. Kasi kung ano yung ginagawa ni Ate Sisi sa akin na pag-tap or pag-remind, yun yung ginagawa kasi ng ate ko before,” she said.
“So ayun lang, masaya na marami akong ate sa paligid ko.”
The post Eya Laure enjoys facing sis EJ, grateful for ‘other ate’ Sisi Rondina’s support appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
News
Dallas Trinity FC home ground designated for World Cup training
The home ground of Dallas Trinity FC, the Cotton Bowl Stadium at Fair Park, and Southern Methodist University (SMU) both in Dallas, have been confirmed to serve as official, venue-specific training sites for teams playing at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas during the FIFA 2026 World Cup.
Cotton Bowl hosted World Cup games during USA 1994 FIFA World Cup.
Teams will use these locations for training in the days leading up to their matches at Arlington.
The post Dallas Trinity FC home ground designated for World Cup training appeared first on Score Nigeria.
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