Eala trailed 3-1 in the opening set and barely held on for 3-3. He then raced to a 5-3 lead and took the set 6-4 on his seventh set-point, saving two break points in that final game.
The Filipino broke twice in the second set, 2-1 and 4-2, and was two games away from the quarterfinals. He was unable to contain his opponent, who refused to yield, and the pressure shifted on him. Serving at 5-6, Eala saved the first set point with a forehand winner down the line. Prozorova responded with a forehand winner of her own to save a game point, and Eala missed a forehand on the second set point.
Eala recovered from 2-0 down to 3-3 in the third set and earned four break points. Prozorova maintained 4-3 and did not lose another game. She took the ball early and kept Elala on the back foot with her forehand, and she finished the three-hour, nine-minute match with another forehand winner on match point before breaking down in tears.
“Honestly, I don’t have words to describe my emotions, my feelings right now. Wow! I just did it.” he said “I just believed in myself until the end, I knew that he would fight, I would also fight until the end.”
I fought. I did everything I could on the court.
Eala had great support from the crowd and Prozorova said she had prepared for it. “I’m glad I didn’t react to this and just focused on my match,” he said. “This is the biggest victory for me at the moment.” He credited his fitness trainer, who he has been working with since about July, for “step-by-step growth” in his fitness.
The victory showed the depth of women’s tennis. A player outside the top 100 who didn’t advance to this year’s major events beat one of the game’s rising stars.
“Tatiana played really well today,” Eala said. “I fought. I did everything I could on the court.” He said the support in Singapore was “so heartwarming” and that “being in Southeast Asia is special”.
The 22-year-old Prozorova also dropped a set and a break to Belgium’s Sofia Kostulas in the previous round before winning 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-2. Before this week, he had just two Tour-level wins in his career. She will next play China’s Xinyu Wang.
Singapore Open, 16th round
M. Andreeva (1) d. A. Sasnovich: 6-2, 6-2
L. Fernandes (6) d. A Parker: 6-4, 6-3
E. Mertens (4) d. B. Krejcikova. VO:
M. Chwalinska (5) d. O. Oliynikova: 6-0, 6-1
Sin. Wang d. J. Garland: 7-5, 6-4
T. Prozorova d. A. Eala (3): 4-6, 7-5, 6-3
M. Sakkari (7) d. N. Hibino: 7-5, 6-1
T. Gibson d. V. Morvayova (LL): 7-6(2), 7-6(1)
Quarter finals
M. Andreeva (1) vs L. Fernandez (6). Friday
E. Mertens (4) vs M. Chwalinska (5). Friday
Sin. Wang vs. T. Prozorova. Friday
M. Sakkari (7) vs T. Gibson. Friday