Prozorova stuns Eala from a set and a break down to reach first WTA quarterfinal

Russian Tatiana Prozorova came back from a set and 4-2 down to beat Filipino Alexandra Eala, the No. 3 seed, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 on Thursday. The win sent her into the quarterfinals of the Singapore Tennis Open presented by BNP Paribas, the first Tour-level quarterfinal of her career. Eala left the tournament after just one match.

Prozorova, the world No. 180, had never beaten a Top 20 player before facing the world No. 18.

Eala was down 3-1 in the opening set and barely held at 3-3. She then pulled ahead 5-3 and took the set 6-4 on her seventh set point, saving two break points in that last game.

The Filipino twice led by a break in the second set, at 2-1 and 4-2, and was two games from the quarterfinals. She could not hold off an opponent who refused to give in, and the pressure shifted to her. Serving at 5-6, Eala saved a first set point with a forehand winner down the line. Prozorova answered with a forehand winner of her own to save a game point, and Eala missed a forehand on the second set point.

In the third set, Eala recovered from 2-0 down to 3-3 and earned four break points. Prozorova held for 4-3 and did not lose another game. She took the ball early and kept Eala on the back foot with her forehand, and she ended the three-hour, nine-minute match with another forehand winner on match point before breaking down in tears.

“Honestly, I don’t have any words right now to describe my emotions, my feelings. Wow. I just did it!” she said. “I just believed in myself until the end. I knew that she would fight. I would also be fighting until the end.”

I fought. I did everything I could on the court.

Eala had strong support from the crowd, and Prozorova said she had prepared for it. “I’m glad that I didn’t have any reaction to this and just focused on my match,” she said. “This is the biggest win for me right now.” She credited her fitness coach, with whom she has worked since around July, for her level “growing, step by step.”

The win showed the depth of women’s tennis. A player outside the Top 100, with no breakthrough at the big events this year, beat one of the game’s rising stars.

“Tatiana played really well today,” Eala said. “I fought. I did everything I could on the court.” She said the support in Singapore had been “so heartwarming” and that “being in Southeast Asia is extra special.”

The 22-year-old Prozorova had also been down a set and a break against Belgian Sofia Costoulas in the previous round, before winning 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-2. She had won only two Tour-level matches in her career before this week. She will play China’s Xinyu Wang next.

Singapore Open, Round of 16

M. Andreeva [1] d. A. Sasnovich: 6-2, 6-2
L. Fernandez [6] d. A. Parks: 6-4, 6-3
E. Mertens [4] d. B. Krejcikova: WO
M. Chwalinska [5] d. O. Oliynykova: 6-0, 6-1
Xin. Wang d. J. Garland: 7-5, 6-4
T. Prozorova d. A. Eala [3]: 4-6, 7-5, 6-3
M. Sakkari [7] d. N. Hibino: 7-5, 6-1
T. Gibson d. V. Morvayova (LL): 7-6(2), 7-6(1)

Quarterfinals

M. Andreeva [1] vs L. Fernandez [6]: Friday
E. Mertens [4] vs M. Chwalinska [5]: Friday
Xin. Wang vs T. Prozorova: Friday
M. Sakkari [7] vs T. Gibson: Friday