Building on her straight-sets win over Petra Marcinko, Filipino star Alex Eala earned her first victory over Poland's Magda Linette with a 6-3, 6-2 triumph in the ASB Classic quarterfinals in Auckland. The world No. 53 advances to face China's Xinyu Wang in the semifinals.
In the quarterfinals of the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, on January 9, 2026, Alex Eala overcame her longtime nemesis Magda Linette of Poland 6-3, 6-2. This was Eala's first win over the world No. 52, after previous defeats in the 2024 WTA 500 Abu Dhabi Open (7-6(4), 6-1) and the 2025 WTA 250 Lexus Nottingham Open (6-4, 6-3). The victory followed Eala's dominant 6-0, 6-2 second-round win over Croatia's Petra Marcinko, marking her continued strong start to 2026.
"It feels so good," the 20-year-old Eala said after the 1-hour-37-minute match. "Today was difficult. Obviously, Magda is such an experienced player, and I’ve had difficulties playing against her before. I’m happy seeing my level of competitiveness increase and improve."
Eala seized control in the first set with three straight games for a 5-2 lead, closing it in the ninth game. In the second set, she raced to a 4-0 advantage, held off Linette's comeback to 4-2, and sealed the win to reach the semifinals.
Ranked 53rd—just behind Linette—the ASB Classic serves as a key tune-up for the Australian Open. Eala, now eyeing her second WTA 250 final, will next challenge China's Xinyu Wang.
