Alex Eala is back on track.
The 15-year-old first-leg champion got on the winning column once more after taking down Ana Lantigua de la Nuez, 6-0, 6-2, in the first round of the third leg of the 2021 ITF Women’s World Tour tournament in Manacor, Spain, Wednesday evening (Philippine time).
But the score does not characterize the battle that happened between the Filipina and the more veteran Spaniard.
Eala had to come back from 15-40 down in the fifth game of the second set to get the service break and the 1-4 lead. From there, the 2020 French Open semifinalist never looked back.
The Rafa Nadal Academy trainee took advantage of the errors of Lantigua de la Nuez in that opening set to finish the games in her favor and to eventually take the sweep.
With the win, she also breached career-high 942nd ranking on the WTA ladder.
Eala moves to the second round and will face either Margot Yerolymos of France or Silvia Ambrosio of Germany on Thursday.
