Alex Eala overcame a tentative start to take down Katherin Sebov, 7-6(6), 6-2, to punch a quarterfinal ticket in the W80 RSF Pro Open on Thursday (Friday in Manila).

Eala turned in eight service breaks to recapture her groove when it mattered most and prevail over Sebov, a member of the Canadian national team that saw action in the 2017 Fed Cup Americas.

Eala’s opening set was riddled with faulty service game, six of which were double faults in that period alone.

But the teen sensation, owing to her experience in her gilded US Open juniors run, cleaned her game up in the next match to notch the victory at Rancho Sante Fe Tennis Club in California.

Eala thus annexed a fourth straight win in the showcase and will play a much more seasoned foe in Marcela Zacarias.

Zacarias, a 28-year-old ace from Mexico, has won 16 ITF pro titles, and is currently ranked a 51 notches above the Filipina at 229th.

Eala, for her part, is seeking her third title in the ITF tour. 

She won her first in the W15 Manacor in Spain last year, and then notched her second during the W25 Chiang Rai in Thailand last summer.