Alex Eala unfazed by Naomi Osaka's 'aura, power' to reach second career finals

Alex Eala grew up watching Naomi Osaka banner the Asian pride on the WTA stage with the Japanese star winning four Grand Slam titles.

On Saturday in Washington D.C., the 21-year-old Filipina went from watching Osaka dominate the sport to facing the former world No. 1 herself, going toe-to-toe with Japanese star at the DC Open semifinals.

Eala made sure to overcome not only Osaka's power, but also the aura that has made the latter one of the sport's most intimidating figures on court.

"Yes, she does. She definitely has aura, and she definitely has power, I can tell you," Eala said in an interview with the Tennis Channel after her 6-4, 6-2 victory against Osaka.

"Yes, I remember watching her finals in the Australian Open and also in the US Open, so really a great experience to share the court with her. I'm really happy that I was able to produce that level against her."

Eala did it in a way that kept Osaka from playing her usual game.

Osaka is considered among the best servers on Tour and that was on full display in her semifinals bout against Eala, where she unleashed five aces against the Filipina's one.

Eala, however, held the edge in several key areas, including first-serve and second-serve percentages, while also showcasing the vastly-improved return game that has become one of her biggest strengths this season.

"It really depends on the moment because there are so many factors when it comes to returning," Eala added.

"At the end of the day, you don't know what serve is going to come at you, right?You have to be ready for anything, but I try to do best what I can control. Whatever I can control, I try to do my 100%."

By beating Osaka, Eala reached her second career finals appearance and first-ever WTA500 finals stint.

She made her first finals appearance in the WTA250 Eastbourne Open last year, but she eventually lost to Maya Joint in a heartbreaking fashion.

—Bea Micaller/JKC, GMA News