Pegula praised Eala's game: "It's all these little things combined that will take her very far"

On Thursday evening, Jessica Pegula secured her spot in the WTA 1000 Miami final by defeating the breakout star of the early season, 19-year-old Alexandra Eala, who had entered the main draw in Florida with a wild card.

After eliminating Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and even Iga Swiatek—three former Grand Slam champions—the Filipino player made a strong impression but ultimately fell to the world No. 4 after a hard-fought battle (7-6, 5-7, 6-3).

Pegula will face Aryna Sabalenka in the final this Saturday, a rematch of last summer’s Cincinnati and US Open finals, both won by the Belarusian. Meanwhile, Pegula, who has lost only one of her last twelve official matches, had high praise for Eala, who will break into the top 80 after the Florida tournament.

"She’s just a really good player. Honestly, she reminds me of Leylah Fernandez (another left-handed player who reached the 2021 US Open final). She takes the ball very early, creates sharp angles with her shots.

She’s very effective with her down-the-line forehand, she’s a highly competitive player who moves well on the court and anticipates perfectly. I also think her serve is hard to read.

It’s all these little things combined that will take her very far. Early on, I struggled with whether to take control or not, but in the end, I told myself I didn’t want to give her free points.

Next time I face her, I’ll try to start more aggressively now that I have a better idea of how she plays," Pegula said in her press conference about her young opponent.