Abu Dhabi Open: Eala reaches doubles semis as wheelchair tennis makes debut

Thursday delivered a landmark day at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open as wheelchair tennis made its groundbreaking debut alongside a decisive quarterfinal sweep that saw Clara Tauson, Sara Bejlek, Ekaterina Alexandrova and Hailey Baptiste all advance to the semifinals.

Tauson advanced over McCartney Kessler in an impressive performance, while Czech qualifier Bejlek dropped just two games to dispatch British No. 2 Sonay Kartal. Alexandrova, the highest seed remaining in the tournament, ended Alexandra Eala's run in straight sets, before Baptiste overcame Liudmila Samsonova in three sets.

“McCartney played some good tennis, but I also played well,” said Tauson. “She was hitting some very good winners, but I kept my cool, kept fighting and that helped me a lot today. It’s great to be in the semifinals.” 

In the doubles quarterfinal on ADCB Court 1, Eala and Janice Tjen delivered an impressive performance in front of packed crowds, defeating Cristina Bucşa and Shuai Zhang in straight sets. 

"We were trying to be aggressive and have fun," said Eala. "When you have a good relationship with your partner, you're not afraid to go with your gut. If you make errors, it's okay because you have that chemistry and you're willing to try what feels right."

Away from the main draw action, history was made as the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open launched its inaugural Mubadala Wheelchair Tennis Invitational presented by the WTA Foundation, becoming the first standalone WTA event to feature wheelchair tennis. 

The groundbreaking three-player tournament saw wheelchair tennis legend Jiske Griffioen of the Netherlands defeat María Angélica Bernal of Colombia in the opening match, securing her place in Saturday's final against World No. 1 Yui Kamiji of Japan.

Nigel Gupta, Tournament Director at MARI, said: "Today has been historic for wheelchair tennis. The inaugural invitational has already captured the imagination, and having Yui and Jiske heading to Saturday's final showcases the extraordinary level of this sport. Alongside that, the quarterfinals produced the kind of brilliant tennis we expect at this level, setting up compelling semifinals matchups tomorrow in both the singles and doubles."

Written by

Khaleej Times Staff