Filipino tennis sensation Alex Eala continued her impressive run on the clay courts after storming into the round of 32 of the Italian Open with a commanding straight-sets victory over China’s Wang Xinyu on Friday (Philippine time).
She fought to overcome a shaky start but eventually dominated the match to score a 6-4, 6-3 victory and exacted revenge against Wang, who beat her in the semifinals of the ASB Classic earlier this year.
Now ranked world No. 42 in the WTA standings, the 20-year-old tennis ace showed composure under pressure after falling behind 0-3 in the opening set.
She gradually found her rhythm, surviving a tense fourth game before stringing together key wins to seize her first lead at 4-3.
Although Wang briefly halted the momentum to tie the set at 4-4, Eala quickly regained control and captured the final two games to complete the comeback.
The second set proved equally challenging as Eala trailed 2-3 before turning the match around with three consecutive victories to move ahead 5-3.
In the final game, however, Eala displayed grit and composure to close out the match and officially punch her ticket to the next round.
Aside from advancing deeper into one of the biggest tournaments on the WTA calendar, Eala also secured prize money worth €46,080, or roughly P3.2 million, for reaching the third round in Rome.
She stands to earn even more if she advances further into the Round of 16, with a potential payout of €79,510, or around P5.6 million.