It was a battle between Alexandra and Oleksandra, but this time, the one with the “O” got the win.
Alex Eala found herself dragged into a long, grueling battle and eventually ran out of gas, falling 6-3, 5-7, 3-6 to Ukrainian qualifier Oleksandra Oliynykova in the opening round of the 2026 Internationaux de Strasbourg in France on Monday.
The 25-year-old Oliynykova, ranked No. 68 in the world, came into the match riding a wave of momentum after defeating former world No. 20 Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan in the final round of qualifying. She was also coming off a career-best third-round appearance at the WTA 1000 Italian Open.
That confidence was evident from the start as she went toe-to-toe with world No. 38 Eala. Early on, the difference was Eala’s ability to capitalize on break points while Oliynykova struggled to convert hers.
The opening set remained on serve through the first six games before the seventh turned into the most dramatic stretch of the set.
Eala saved five break points and finally held serve after seven deuces to maintain control. The momentum carried into the next game as the Filipina secured the first break of the match.
Eala then closed out the opener, 6-3, in the ninth game after 57 minutes.
Oliynykova’s looping groundstrokes, complemented by slices and drop shots, continued to trouble Eala in the second set.
The Ukrainian raced to a 4-0 lead and appeared headed for a comfortable push to a deciding set.
But Eala fought back and eventually leveled the score at 5-5. The Filipina ace, however, failed to win another game as Oliynykova captured the final two games of the set to force a decider.
Oliynykova carried that momentum into the third set, where she showed superior composure and stamina. Leading 2-1, the Ukrainian squandered six break points, allowing Eala to tie the set at 2-2. Eala then broke serve in the fifth game to regain the lead at 3-2.
But Oliynykova refused to let the match slip away. She immediately answered with a break of her own in the sixth game and went on to blank Eala for the rest of the match, completing the comeback victory after two hours and 54 minutes.
It was a disappointing defeat for Eala, who had just come off a solid campaign at the Italian Open last week, where she reached the third round and pushed world No. 2 Elena Rybakina in a competitive encounter.
The Filipina will now look to regroup ahead of the French Open, which begins on May 25.
