Alex Eala pulled off one of the biggest wins of her young career, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.
The Filipina tennis star opened her campaign in the WTA 500 Mubadala Citi DC Open with a stunning come-from-behind victory over Paris Olympic gold medalist and former world No. 4 Zheng Qinwen of China, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, on Wednesday morning (Manila time).
An 18-year-old Eala had pushed the top-seeded Chinese star to the limit before falling in three sets, 6-1, 6-7, 6-3, in the semifinals of the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games. Three years later, she finally got her revenge.
Playing on the Main Stadium at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Washington, D.C., a more seasoned Eala showed just how much she had grown since their first meeting.
Any concerns about Eala’s health and conditioning after she withdrew from the doubles event quickly disappeared. The 21-year-old fired two aces while holding serve in the opening game before breaking Zheng to take a 2-0 lead.
Zheng, a former Australian Open finalist and two-time US Open quarterfinalist, responded with booming serves and pinpoint down-the-line winners to level the score at 2-2.
The Chinese star then won four of the next six games to capture the opening set.
Zheng appeared poised to close out the match after breaking Eala in the seventh game of the second set for a 4-3 advantage.
But Eala refused to fold, immediately breaking back before winning the final three games of the set to claim it, 6-4, and force a decider.
The momentum completely shifted in the third set as Eala dominated from the outset. She raced to a commanding 4-0 lead and never allowed Zheng back into the contest.
Eala wrapped up the deciding set, 6-1, sealing the upset in just seven games and completing the victory after two hours and 28 minutes.
With the win, world No. 28 Eala advanced to the second round, where she will face defending champion and 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez of Canada. Fernandez cruised past Magda Linette, 6-1, 6-4, in her opening-round match.
The Canadian defeated Eala in straight sets at the Stuttgart Open last April.
