MANILA, Philippines — Filipina pride Alex Eala did not disappoint in her W60 debut, stunning Frenchwoman Margot Yerolymos, 7-6 (6), 6-2, amid challenging weather conditions in Bellinzona, Switzerland late Tuesday night.
Eala’s win, which she dedicated to her countrymen fighting the deadly COVID-19 virus back home, pushed the 15-year-old to a second-round duel against Romania’s Laura-Ioana Paar. The match was being played as of press time.
“Tough play with windy conditions but happy to have won my first W60 match here in Switzerland. I’ve heard the COVID situation in the Philippines is getting worse and pray that everyone keeps safe,” she posted on social media following the two-hour match.
From a back-and-forth opening set, Eala banked on fresher legs and rolled to a 3-0 start in the second en route to a stunning win over the WTA No. 323 with five titles under her belt.
It was a huge rebound for the WTA’s No. 715 player after an early exit in the Miami Open that featured world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty and No. 2 Naomi Osaka two weeks back.
In this tough event with a total $60,000 in prize money, Eala hopes to go far and continue her WTA rise after six impressive outings so far, including her maiden title in Spain last January.