Alex Eala marked her return to the tournament where she had her breakthrough by overcoming an opponent armed with a bag full of shrewd tactics.
Playing the first match at Stadium Court of the Hard Rock Café, the 31st-seeded Eala rallied from a set down to turn back Germany’s Laura Siegemund, 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-3, on Friday morning (Philippine time) in the second round of the WTA Miami Open.
The 38-year-old Siegemund, who has gained notoriety on tour for her delaying antics, was up to her old tricks — constantly finding ways to disrupt Eala’s rhythm.
The 20-year-old Filipina squandered a 3-0 lead and four set points, allowing Siegemund to steal the opening set in a tiebreak that lasted 84 minutes.
Eala regained her composure in the second set to solve the German puzzle. She then secured the first break in the third game to take a 3-1 lead.
A tense moment followed when Siegemund turned her back just as Eala was about to serve.
The German, who had deliberately slowed down between points throughout the match, complained to the umpire that Eala was delaying.
The brief dust-up appeared to ignite Eala, as she claimed three of the last five games to level the match at one set apiece.
Eala carried that momentum into the third set, racing to a 2-0 lead.
Siegemund answered with a break in the third game, but Eala quickly reasserted control, breaking again in the fourth before holding through three deuces to stretch the lead to 4-1.
From there, she never looked back, closing out the match in the ninth game after three hours and 20 minutes.
The victory sends Eala into the third round, where she could face second seed Iga Swiatek of Poland.
The two are tied 1-1 in their head-to-head, with Eala having beaten Swiatek in the quarterfinals of last year’s Miami Open.
