TENNIS

Alex Eala, Russian partner barge into French Open Juniors doubles quarterfinals

Alex Eala and her Russian partner Oksana Selekhmeteva made quick work of Belgium's Sofia Costoulas and Finland's Laura Hietaranta, 6-3, 6-1, to book a doubles quarterfinals spot in the French Open Juniors on Tuesday.

Their clean feat looked similar to their first round victory when they swept Evialina Laskevich of Belarus and Alina Shcherbinina of Russia, 6-4, 6-4, on Monday at the Stade Roland-Garros in Paris, France.

Eala, 16, and Selekhmeteva, 18, got their momentum going right from the get-go.

After losing the first game, the duo dominated five of the next six games before Costoulas and Hietaranta took advantage of an error from Eala and Selekhmeteva to take another game.

But the Filipino-Russian power duo eventually took over to close the opening set, 6-3.

They then pulled out all the stops in the second set.

Eala, who has already suited up for nine professional fixtures this year alone, and Selekhmeteva, who won the 2019 US Open girls' doubles, won four-straight games before the other camp stole game five, 4-1.

The pair then finished the thrilling game with a convincing 6-1 second set win.

Eala exited early in the girls' singles after 4-6, 7-6, 1-6 first round loss at the hands of Matilda Mutavdzic of Great Britain.

—MGP, GMA News