TENNIS: Alex Eala survives Caty McNally scare to advance to Canadian Open round of 16

Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala had to dig deep to neutralize Caty McNally of the United States in three sets at the Canadian Open's round of 32 in Toronto, Canada.

The world no. 20 Eala, playing with a right foot injury, took the first set, 6-3. McNally, the world no. 70, got even as she salvaged the second set at 7-5 after overcoming deuce at 5-5.

Eala came in hot in the third set scoring two straight games until McNally scored a game at 2-1. The Filipino crowd drawer again won the next game for 3-1. Showing she is no pushover, McNally snatches the next game to close in at 3-2.

The Filipino wunderkind took the next game to create some distance at 4-2. McNally's tenacity paid off when she reached deuce and eventually took the seventh game, closing the gap at 4-3.

Eala won the next game to reach 5-3. McNally again closed in on Eala after taking the next game at 5-4. Taking no chances, the Filipino giant killer closed the set and the match at 6-4.

Eala will advance to the Canadian Open round of 16 against world no. 14 Belinda Bencic of Switzerland.

McNally defeated the current Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova in straight sets in the round of 64 two days ago.

Eala was recently crowned champion of the WTA 500 Washington DC Open, beating defending champion Leylah Fernandez of Canada, four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka of Japan, and world no. 3 Jessica Pegula along the way.