Amid the anticipation surrounding the Philippines’ first-ever WTA 125 tournament, Alex Eala made sure to leave an opening impression — flying the flag with a commanding 6-1, 6-2 win over Alina Charaeva in just one hour and 16 minutes on Monday evening at Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
The victory also served as redemption for Eala, who previously fell to Charaeva in straight sets at the 2020 W15 Melilla Open.
This time around, the Filipina teenager was firmly in control from the opening ball.
Much like her recent Australian Open outings, Eala set the tone early in the first set, dictating play from the baseline and breaking Charaeva in the fourth and 6th games to cruise to a one-sided opener.
The second set saw a brief shift in momentum, as the 163rd-ranked Russian came out sharper and claimed the first two games, highlighted by a break of Eala’s serve in the second game.
But Eala quickly steadied herself, responding immediately with her third break of the match by blanking Charaeva in the following game to reassert control.
Play was momentarily halted when Eala requested a medical timeout due to some discomfort before the fourth game, briefly interrupting the rhythm of the match.
Once play resumed, the interruption proved to have little effect, as Eala elevated her level and strung together five consecutive games to close out the contest. The run included a hard-fought fifth game that saw her break Charaeva’s serve and effectively seal the match.
“Yan ang labang Pinoy ‘di ba? I mean, I don’t know where it comes from and it’s just natural,” Eala mentioned regarding her drive to get better.
By the end, Eala had converted five service breaks and posted an impressive 77% winning rate on first serve, along with 61% on her second serve — underscoring her control in key points.
“I’m trying to take it match by match and I’m in a good moment in my career. I want to say that I’m going up and I’m in my best ranking, especially playing at home with my family and being able to watch me in person finally and all of you guys. Kaya tuwang-tuwa syempre,” Eala on playing for the first time in her home country.
However, fellow Filipino bets in Tennielle Madis and Elizabeth Abarquez dropped their first round matches, alongside two defeats on the women’s doubles side as well with the pairings of Angeline Alcala and Joana Victoria Pena and Justine Maneja and Kaye Emana
Up next in the second round, Eala will face the winner of the all-Japanese matchup between Nao Hibino and Himeno Sakatsume.
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