MANILA, Philippines — World juniors No. 4 Alex Eala overcame a first-set loss to stop Nadia Echeverria Alam, 1-6, 7-6, 3-2, and win her first professional match in the ITF Women’s Future in Monastir,Tunisia.
The 14-year-old Filipina tennis sensation’s victory over her American-Venezuelan rival didn’t come easy. Eala overcame a slow start and held her nerves in the second set to bag the win against her 25-year-old opponent, who is ranked 772nd in the world.
With the win, Eala will face tournament third seed Nina Stadler of Switzerland in the second round.
Eala is fresh from winning her first title in a grand slam tournament.
Along with Indonesian partner Priska Nugroho, Eala won the girls’ doubles competition of the 2020 Australian Open.
Eala’s successful pro-debut earned her praise from the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy where she is also a scholar.