Russia’s Tatiana Prozorova notched the biggest win of her career on Thursday, taking out Alexandra Eala in three hours and 19 minutes.
Chris OddoSeptember 24, 20262 minute read
World No. 180 Tatiana Prozorova stunned No. 3 seed Alexandra Eala in a marathon Singapore Tennis Open second round, advancing to her first WTA quarterfinal, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3. The result was the 22-year-old’s first career Top 20 win and Eala’s first loss to a player ranked outside the Top 100 in a year.
The World No. 18 led by a set and 4-2 but could not hang on against the 22-year-old Russian in a battle that stretched past the three-hour mark.
“Honestly, I don’t have any words right now to describe my emotions, my feelings,” Prozorova said in her on-court interview. “Wow — I just did it! I just believed in myself ’til the end. I knew that she would fight. I also will be fighting ’til the end. That’s what I just did, and it worked.”
Eala was well and truly in charge, with break points for 5-2 in the second set, but she had trouble keeping Prozorova at bay. There were myriad grinding rallies, and Eala was put on the back foot by the Russian’s backhand many times.
Eventually, Prozorova, who trailed by a break twice in the middle set, broke in the 12th game, converting her second set point.
In the third, Prozorova led by a break but was reeled back by a spirited Eala, who broke for 3-2 but could not consolidate.
After four more break points went begging with Prozorova serving at 3-all, it was the Russian’s turn to pull away. She won 11 of the final 13 points, closing out the hold for 4-3 with an ace and breaking for 5-3 before finishing off the three-hour and nine-minute tussle by converting her first match point.
Prozorova, who entered the match with a 2-9 lifetime record in WTA main draws, had never defeated a player ranked higher than No. 40 prior to Thursday.
