Eala enters doubles finals in W75 Croissy-Beaubourg netfest

MANILA, Philippines – Alex Eala zeroed in on her second pro doubles title by teaming up with Estelle Cascino in their march to the finals of the W75 Croissy-Beaubourg in France.

The Filipina-French duo ousted Russian Kira Pavlova and Luxembourg’s Marie Weckerle, 6-3, 6-3, in the semifinals late Friday night to advance to the championship of the elite $75,000 tourney.

Unseeded and all, the impressive pair captured the easy win in only one hour and seven minutes to arrange a finale duel against the top-seeded tandem of Maia Lumsden from Great Britain and another hometown bet in Jessika Ponchet.

Eala won her first doubles mint in the W50 Pune in India with Latvian partner Darja Semenistaja last January and now sports a chance to earn another in her young promising career marked by four singles crowns.

The 28-year Cascino, for her part, is an expert in the doubles joust being the WTA No. 146 player with 22 doubles titles and four singles championships.

Eala and Cascino previously beat Switzerland’s Celina Naef and India’s Prarthana Thombare, 5-7, 6-2, 10-6, in the first round before rolling past the No. 2 duo fo Emily Appleton of Great Britain and Isabelle Haverlag of the Netherlands, 6-4, 6-0, in the quarterfinals.

The deep playoff run of Eala, WTA No. 171, in the doubles play made up for her early exit in the Round of 16 of the singles tilt after a 6-4, 4-6, 1-6 defeat to Germany’s Mona Barthel.