As updated on February 5. The WTA 500 Abu Dhabi Open has reached its quarterfinal stage, but not without a major twist. Defending champion Belinda Bencic was forced to retire from the tournament, a decision that will also see the Swiss star drop out of the Top 10 after several weeks among the elite.
Her withdrawal reshaped the draw — and the rankings — as Alexandra Eala produced another statement comeback to reach the last eight, while Ekaterina Alexandrova took full advantage of the opening left behind.
Jelena Ostapenko was also eliminated on a day that underlined how quickly momentum can shift during the Middle East swing.
Alexandrova Surges Back Toward the Top 10
Ekaterina Alexandrova’s return to the Top 10 now looks all but inevitable. Benefiting from Bencic’s retirement — but also earning it the hard way — the 31-year-old delivered a commanding 6–3, 6–0 win over Dayana Yastremska in just 71 minutes.
Alexandrova seized control early, breaking twice to race to a 4–0 lead in the opening set. Yastremska briefly steadied herself, clawing back three games to make it 4–3, but the resistance ended there. Alexandrova raised her level again, closed out the set 6–3, and never looked back.
The second set was a one-sided affair. Alexandrova extended her run to eight consecutive games, dismantling Yastremska’s defenses with clean ball-striking and relentless pressure on return to seal the “bagel.”
Statistically, the gap was just as stark. Alexandrova won 63% of points on serve and an impressive 58% on return, converting six of nine break points. Yastremska, by contrast, managed just one break from five opportunities.
The victory sends Alexandrova into the quarterfinals, where she will face Alexandra Eala — a matchup that pits experience and ranking security against the momentum of one of the tournament’s breakout stars.
Eala Keeps Rewriting the Script
Earlier in the day, Alexandra Eala pulled off one of the comebacks of the tournament, rallying past Aliaksandra Sasnovich to secure her place in the quarterfinals. The Filipina continues to capture attention not only for her results, but for the composure and resilience she is showing against seasoned tour players.
With Bencic out and Ostapenko eliminated, the draw has opened considerably — and Eala now finds herself firmly in the conversation as one of the most intriguing stories of the Abu Dhabi Open.
As the Middle East swing gathers pace, the tournament has shifted from defending champions to rising challengers — and the quarterfinals promise a compelling blend of form, opportunity, and pressure.
Eala Stuns Sasnovich to Keep Abu Dhabi Dream Alive
Alexandra Eala’s run in Abu Dhabi took on a dramatic edge with a comeback victory that may already define her season. Facing Aliaksandra Sasnovich — a former Top 30 player now ranked outside the Top 100 after an injury-hit spell — the Filipina was pushed to the brink before igniting the crowd and flipping the match on its head.
Sasnovich arrived full of belief after navigating qualifying and dispatching Paula Badosa, and she backed that up early. Exploiting Eala’s shaky first serve, she dominated the opening set without facing a single break point, breaking twice to take it 6–2 in just 35 minutes.
Aliaksandra Sasnovich vs Alexandra Eala – Set One Stats
| Statistic | Aliaksandra Sasnovich | Alexandra Eala |
|---|---|---|
| Dominance Ratio | 2.59 | 0.39 |
| Service | ||
| Serve Rating | 311 | 216 |
| Aces | 0 | 0 |
| Double Faults | 0 | 3 |
| 1st Serve % | 80% (16/20) | 76% (22/29) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 88% (14/16) | 50% (11/22) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 43% (3/7) | 43% (3/7) |
| Break Points Saved | – (0/0) | 33% (1/3) |
| Service Games Won | 100% (4/4) | 50% (2/4) |
| Serve Frequency | ||
| Ace % | 0% | 0% |
| Double Fault % | 0% | 10.3% |
| Return | ||
| Return Rating | 224 | 70 |
| 1st Return Points Won | 50% (11/22) | 13% (2/16) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 57% (4/7) | 57% (4/7) |
| Break Points Won | 67% (2/3) | – (0/0) |
| Return Games Won | 50% (2/4) | 0% (0/4) |
| Points | ||
| Pressure Points Won | 67% (2/3) | 33% (1/3) |
| Service Points Won | 80% (16/20) | 48% (14/29) |
| Return Points Won | 52% (15/29) | 20% (4/20) |
| Total Points Won | 63% (31/49) | 37% (18/49) |
| Set 1 Duration | 0h35m | |
The pattern briefly continued into the second, as Eala was broken again and forced to chase.
But backed by overwhelming crowd support, Eala refused to fade. Despite squandering a string of break chances, she kept pressing, and when Sasnovich served to stay in the set, the breakthrough finally came. Eala snatched the late break and leveled the contest 6–4.
Aliaksandra Sasnovich vs Alexandra Eala – Set Two Stats
| Statistic | Aliaksandra Sasnovich | Alexandra Eala |
|---|---|---|
| Dominance Ratio | 0.87 | 1.15 |
| Service | ||
| Serve Rating | 216 | 264 |
| Aces | 1 | 0 |
| Double Faults | 3 | 0 |
| 1st Serve % | 51% (30/59) | 71% (24/34) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 57% (17/30) | 63% (15/24) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 50% (10/20) | 50% (5/10) |
| Break Points Saved | 83% (10/12) | 50% (1/2) |
| Service Games Won | 60% (3/5) | 80% (4/5) |
| Serve Frequency | ||
| Ace % | 1.7% | 0% |
| Double Fault % | 5.1% | 0% |
| Return | ||
| Return Rating | 158 | 150 |
| 1st Return Points Won | 38% (9/24) | 43% (13/30) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 50% (5/10) | 50% (10/20) |
| Break Points Won | 50% (1/2) | 17% (2/12) |
| Return Games Won | 20% (1/5) | 40% (2/5) |
| Points Won | ||
| Pressure Points | 79% (11/14) | 21% (3/14) |
| Service Points Won | 53% (31/59) | 59% (20/34) |
| Return Points Won | 41% (14/34) | 47% (28/59) |
| Total Points Won | 48% (45/93) | 52% (48/93) |
| Set Duration:1h07m | ||
The third set swung wildly. Sasnovich surged ahead with two breaks for a 4–0 lead, then again at 5–2 appeared on the verge of victory. What followed was pure defiance.
Eala clawed back one break, saved a match point on return, and dragged the match to 5–5 amid a roaring atmosphere. Both players held once more before a decisive tie-break, where Eala completed the escape — winning the final three points in succession to seal a remarkable 2–6, 6–4, 7–6(5) triumph.
Aliaksandra Sasnovich vs Alexandra Eala – Set Three Stats
| Statistic | Aliaksandra Sasnovich | Alexandra Eala |
|---|---|---|
| Dominance Ratio | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Service | ||
| Serve Rating | 240 | 229 |
| Aces | 4 | 0 |
| Double Faults | 2 | 0 |
| 1st Serve % | 76% (35/46) | 72% (36/50) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 54% (19/35) | 50% (18/36) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 58% (7/12) | 57% (8/14) |
| Break Points Saved | 50% (3/6) | 50% (3/6) |
| Service Games Won | 50% (3/6) | 50% (3/6) |
| Serve Frequency | ||
| Ace % | 8.7% | 0% |
| Double Fault % | 4.3% | 0% |
| Return | ||
| Return Rating | 193 | 188 |
| 1st Return Points Won | 50% (18/36) | 46% (16/35) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 43% (6/14) | 42% (5/12) |
| Break Points Won | 50% (3/6) | 50% (3/6) |
| Return Games Won | 50% (3/6) | 50% (3/6) |
| Points Won | ||
| Pressure Points | 50% (6/12) | 50% (6/12) |
| Service Points Won | 52% (24/46) | 52% (26/50) |
| Return Points Won | 48% (24/50) | 48% (22/46) |
| Total Points Won | 50% (48/96) | 50% (48/96) |
| Set Duration:1h11m | ||
It was resilience, belief, and composure under pressure — and it keeps Eala firmly in the conversation as one of the standout stories of the Abu Dhabi Open.
Eala’s Reaction To Her Win
“I Never Gave Up”
Eala was visibly emotional afterward, relieved and proud in equal measure.
“With a little bit of luck it went my way,” she said. “Aliaksandra played really well, so I’m just happy I stayed in the fight. I had match point against me and there were so many moments where I could have given up—but that’s what makes this win special.”
She admitted the physical and emotional toll was immense.
“At 2–5 it was really tough. She had all the momentum. I had to take it point by point and feed off the energy of the crowd. Matches like this drain you completely, but when it’s over, you finally get to release everything you were holding in.”
A Global Crowd Behind Her
Once again, Eala felt the full force of her growing international fanbase. After passionate support in Australia and New Zealand earlier this season, the Philippine contingent turned Abu Dhabi into a cauldron.
“The atmosphere here is incredible,” Eala said. “There are families, expats, fans who came just to support me. Knowing that my matches bring the Filipino community together—it means so much.”
A Steep Next Test
Eala’s reward is a daunting one. She now faces second seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, the highest-ranked player left in the draw following Belinda Bencic’s withdrawal. Regardless of the outcome, Eala’s Abu Dhabi run has already confirmed her as one of the most compelling young stories on the WTA Tour.
Bejlek and Kartal in Business Mode
Kartal’s momentum in Abu Dhabi showed no signs of slowing. Zarazúa’s late entry into the draw proved short-lived, as the Brit made light work of the lower-ranked opponent, racing to a commanding 6–0, 6–3 victory. Drawing confidence from her qualifying run, Kartal collected her fourth consecutive win of the week and underlined her growing comfort at WTA 500 level.
Awaiting her in the quarterfinals is one of the breakout stories of the tournament.
Twenty-year-old Sara Bejlek delivered the biggest win of her young career by eliminating former Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko. After weathering early pressure in a tight opening set, the Czech found her range at the decisive moment, breaking late to seize control before closing out a composed 6–4, 6–3 victory.
Bejlek’s reward is more than a place in the last eight: she is guaranteed a jump of nearly 30 ranking spots and will rise to a new career-high of world No. 72 — another signal that the next wave on the WTA Tour is arriving fast.