Coco Gauff apologised to the fans in Dubai after reaching the quarter-finals on Wednesday – only to set up a showdown with their favourite player, Alexandra Eala. The world No. 4 battled back and saved three match points to beat Elise Mertens in a two-hour and 18-minute contest, and then told the crowd that she knew they were waiting to watch Eala, who featured in the last match of the day against Sorana Cirstea.
“I don’t remember the last time I saved match points, probably when I was 15, but I’m really happy to get through today. It was a long one. I know you guys are probably here for Alex, so I’m sorry to make you wait!” Gauff told the cheering fans in the Centre Court stands. “But if I’m not mistaken, I think that some of you guys are cheering for me, so I appreciate it a lot, and I hope you guys enjoy the next match. But thank you for cheering for me for now.”
Now, the two-time Grand Slam champion will face Eala for the first time, after the 20-year-old clinched a 7-5 6-4 win over Cirstea in front of her adoring fans in Dubai. Eala has been causing a stir throughout the Middle Eastern swing, with countless Filipino spectators turning up to cheer her on.
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Gauff is well aware that the crowd will be on her opponent’s side in Thursday’s quarter-final. But the No. 3 seed in Dubai isn’t bothered about having the fans against her. Instead, Gauff believes the 20-year-old has been great for the sport and is a big fan of her game.
“I mean, I played a couple people in their home – well, crowds are mainly for them. Jasmine [Paolini] in Rome, [Lois] Boisson in Roland Garros. It won’t be the first time,” Gauff said. “I don’t know. I feel like it’s great for the sport to have this atmosphere. It’s very fun, regardless if the crowd is for you or not. Then obviously with her game, she’s really a great, talented player. She’s already beaten some top-10 players in straight sets. If I were to play her, it will definitely be a tough match.”
Eala has already racked up some big wins, most of which came at last year’s Miami Open, when she was a teenage wildcard ranked No. 140. The Filipino star stunned Iga Swiatek, Madison Keys and Jelena Ostapenko on her way to the semi-finals, ultimately losing to Jessica Pegula.
Since then, she’s won a WTA 125 title, reached two more tour-level semi-finals, and currently sits at a career-high ranking of No. 40. But Eala knows that a win over Gauff in Dubai would be one of the biggest of her career.
“Yeah, I think it’s a great opportunity for me. Win or lose tomorrow, I think it’s great for me to learn. Obviously, facing a player like Coco is something that people, like, would kill to do. In a quarterfinal here in Dubai, as well. So I’m super excited for that,” she explained. “It would definitely be up there if it were to happen. But like I said, win or lose, I think the match would be a great experience for me.”