Aiming to make up for her first-round exit in Doha the previous week, Alex Eala was firing on all cylinders as she methodically dismantled Hailey Baptiste of the United States in the opening set before the American retired in the second.
The Filipina ace secured a 6-4, 0-1 (ret) victory in the first round of the 2026 Dubai Tennis Championships on Sunday.
Baptiste entered the main draw as a Lucky Loser after dropping her final qualifying match, where she had been the top seed.
The 24-year-old American, however, has had a strong start to her 2026 season, reaching the third round of the Australian Open in January and the semifinals of the WTA 500 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open earlier this month, helping her climb to a career-high ranking of 39th in the world.
Eala, now also ranked a career-high 40th, drew inspiration from their previous encounter when she defeated Baptiste in three sets in the qualifiers of the 2025 WTA 250 Eastbourne Open last June.
The first set was a tightly contested affair, tied at 3-3 after an exchange of service breaks.
Eala pulled ahead by breaking Baptiste again in the seventh game and then holding serve to go up 5-3. Baptiste attempted to narrow the gap at 5-4, but Eala comfortably held serve in the 10th game to take the set.
Playing the first featured match of the evening at Center Court of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium, Eala delighted the predominantly Filipino crowd with her trademark scrambling defense and versatile shot-making, which effectively neutralized Baptiste’s powerful groundstrokes.
The second set promised another close battle as the two players battled through a first game filled with multiple deuces.
Eala had four break-point opportunities, but Baptiste managed to hold serve. That proved to be Baptiste’s final resistance, as she retired during the changeover due to a reported abdominal injury.
The 20-year-old Eala will have a day to recover before returning to action on Tuesday, when she will face a tough challenge against world No. 8 Jasmine Paolini of Italy, who received a first-round bye.
The 30-year-old Paolini, a finalist at both the 2024 French Open and Wimbledon, reached a career-high No. 4 ranking last year, making her a formidable opponent for the rising Filipina star.
