Eala wins historic WTA title in Washington

Alexandra Eala became the first Filipino to win a WTA singles title after rallying past top-seeded Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 in the Washington Open final Monday.

The 21-year-old left-hander dominated after play resumed following an overnight suspension caused by rain, winning the last nine games to claim the WTA 500 crown.

"Just pure happiness," Eala said of her first WTA title."Oh my gosh, winning a 500, it's insane. It's an incredible milestone for me."

The victory erased the disappointment of last year's Eastbourne final, where Eala failed to convert four championship points.

"At the beginning of the week, there is no way I would have thought that I would be holding this trophy. Even at the beginning of the year," Eala said. "These things kind of creep up on you and I hold these moments really close to me."

Eala climbed to a career-high No. 20 in the WTA rankings after a breakthrough run that included victories over Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, second-seeded Elina Svitolina, former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka and defending champion Leylah Fernandez before defeating world No. 3 Pegula in the final.

"It was a very steep hill," Eala said. "I knew that the competition was super-strong and my draw was quite tough. So I'm really, really proud. I think I encountered my fair share of obstacles this week."

The final, which lasted 1 hour and 45 minutes of playing time, stretched across two days after repeated rain delays halted play Sunday with Pegula leading 6-4 and Eala ahead 2-1 in the second set.

Pegula praised Eala's composure and growing popularity.

"I just think it's so refreshing and nice to see how well she's handled all of the kind of fandom and stardom that's come with her being from the Philippines and how they've really embraced her," Pegula said.

The two players next head to the WTA 1000 event in Toronto.