On a day when things did not go her way early in the match, and she even needed a medical timeout, Alex Eala displayed maturity and patience to find a way to eke out a victory.
The 25th-seeded Eala was pushed to the limit by Caty McNally of the United States and had to summon every ounce of her will and skill to prevail, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, on Saturday in the third round of the WTA 1000 Canadian Open.
Eala came into the match wary of McNally, who posted the biggest shocker of the tournament when she eliminated Wimbledon champion and sixth seed Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic, 7-6 (5), 6-1, in the second round.
McNally harbored hopes of pulling off another upset after breaking Eala’s serve twice early in the first set to take a 3-1 lead as the Filipina got off to a lethargic start.
The 21-year-old Eala then shifted gears, prolonging rallies as she searched for her rhythm instead of going for big shots. This allowed her to dictate the tempo and keep McNally away from the net, where the American usually attacks her opponents.
The world No. 20 Eala broke McNally in the sixth and eighth games, sweeping the last five games to claim the opening set.
The 24-year-old American — who has been enjoying the best singles season of her career and climbed as high as No. 50 in the world rankings last June — relied on her variety to try to confuse Eala in the second set.
Eala threatened to break away by taking a 2-1 lead, but McNally responded by breaking her serve in the fourth game to draw level at 2-2.
After retaking the lead at 3-2, Eala called for a medical timeout to have her ankle taped after feeling some discomfort. Whether the break stymied her momentum or the tape restricted her mobility, Eala allowed McNally to pocket the next two games and take a 4-3 lead.
The Filipina had the tape removed from her ankle during the changeover, but her movement in the succeeding games remained tentative. McNally took advantage, holding serve to close out the set and force a deciding third.
Eala knew she needed to establish her imprint early in the decider, and she did just that by regaining control of the exchanges and breaking McNally in the opening game to take a 2-0 lead. That proved to be enough cushion for Eala, with both players holding serve the rest of the way.
The Filipina closed out the marathon battle after two hours and 41 minutes in the day’s final match at the 12,500-capacity Stadium Court of the Sobeys Stadium in Toronto, Ontario.
With her win over McNally, Eala has now posted three straight victories against Americans. She knocked out Alycia Parks in the second round on Thursday after winning the WTA 500 Washington Open by toppling Jessica Pegula.
Eala has now punched her ticket to the fourth round, where she will face Swiss No. 1 and world No. 14 Belinda Bencic.
