BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom — Alexandra Ila won her second WTA 125 singles title on Sunday with a hard-fought victory over doubles partner Nikola Bartunkova in the Birmingham Open final.
Top-seeded Ila fought back from a set down to defeat Bartunkova 5-7, 6-3, 7-5.
Aira, who turned 21 last month, has become a global sensation among many in the Filipino diaspora since reaching the semifinals of last year’s Miami Open.
Her fan base then expanded again when she defeated Clara Thorson in the first round of the U.S. Open after a long third-set tiebreak for her first major victory.
Two weeks later, Aira won the Guadalajara 125 Open, becoming the first woman to represent the Philippines to win a challenger-level WTA title.
Aira, who is based at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain, attracted further attention at this year’s Australian Open, the closest Grand Slam to the Philippines.
