Alexandra Eala continues to soar. On Tuesday night in Dubai, the 20-year-old Filipino star captured one of the biggest victories of her career, outlasting World No. 8 and former champion Jasmine Paolini 6-1, 7-6 (5) in a tense 1-hour, 40-minute match. She converted her fifth match point in a gripping second-set tiebreak to secure the win.
As always, Eala drew a passionate Filipino crowd to Center Court, and she did not disappoint. The win marked her third Top 10 triumph on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz level and her first since last year’s memorable Miami semifinal run. It also advances her to the Round of 16 at a WTA 1000 event for the first time since Miami.
“All the emotions are coming because the tension was so high, especially during that second set,” Eala said in her on-court interview. “So I’m really happy to have gotten through. (Paolini) is a great opponent, obviously, being Top 10 and a former champion here, so to be able to compete with her at this level is a great achievement for me.
“In the tiebreak, I was trying everything to keep myself in check. At the change of ends, I was thinking, you know, this stadium is full of Filipinos. I thought, ‘How many of them are probably praying for me to win?’ So I really had to give everything I got.”
Eala, not typically known for her serving, dominated early. She landed 67% of her first serves and won 86% of those points. She added a solid 57% on second-serve points and did not face a single break point in the opening set.
The second set turned into a rollercoaster. Eala broke Paolini for a 2-1 lead, only for the Italian to recover at 3-3. After Eala regained a break at 4-3, Paolini saved three match points to hold for 5-4, then broke Eala’s serve at 5-all. Eala had to fend off two set points before holding serve and forcing a tiebreak.
“I tried to remind myself that I was doing well,” Eala said in her post-match press conference. “I have to watch it again, but I don’t think I did anything disastrous during those moments, and she earned those points. Every time the opportunity arose, I tried my best to be brave and go for my ball.”
The tiebreak featured some of the night’s best tennis. Each of the first eight points ended with a winner, leaving them tied at 4-4. A slight dip from Paolini gave Eala two more match points, and she sealed the upset with a forehand winner on the second.
What followed was pure “Filipino frenzy,” as chants of “Ale, Ale, Ale” reverberated throughout the stands, the crowd celebrating every moment of their hero’s triumph. WTA/FROM THE WIRES