EASTBOURNE: Australian teenager Maya Joint saved four match points to clinch the WTA title at Eastbourne with a dramatic victory over Alexandra Eala that ended the Filipina`s history bid on Saturday.

Joint survived a tense clash lasting two hours and 26 minutes, emerging with a 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (12-10) win to seal her second WTA Tour title.

In the youngest Eastbourne final since 1981, world number 51 Joint staved off the four championship points in a gripping final-set tie-break.

She finally wrapped up the title by drilling a backhand winner before collapsing to the turf in delight.

Having also defeated former Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur and 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu at Eastbourne over the last week, Joint has underlined her status as one of the rising stars of the women`s tour.

After winning on clay in Rabat in May, the 19-yearold has proved she can thrive on grass as well ahead of the start of Wimbledon on Monday.

It was a painful defeat for Eala, who was so close to becoming the first player from the Philippines to win a WTA Tour title.

The 20-year-old wiped away tears of frustration during the on-court trophy presentation.

Eala had become the first Filipina to reach a WTA final after beating Varvara Gracheva in the last four at Eastbourne on Friday.

Eala`s run to the final has made the world number 74 one to watch in the coming months.

After progressing through qualifying to make the main draw, Eala beat Lucia Bronzetti, former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, Nottingham Open finalist Dayana Yastremska and France`s Gracheva.

She had burst onto the scene with three shock victories over Grand Slam winners Ostapenko, Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek to reach the Miami Open semifinals in March.

In the men`s final, Taylor Fritz of the US secured a record-extending fourth Eastbourne title when he downed compatriot Jenson Brooksby 7-5, 6-1.

Fritz has turned the ATP 250 grass-court event into a personal playground in recent years, lifting trophies in 2019, 2022, 2024 and now 2025. After earning three third-set victories to reach the final once again this week, Fritz rallied from a break down in the first set against Brooksby before he further established his dominance in the second set to triumph after 88 minutes.-Agencies