Alexandra Eala has just crashed out of the Strasbourg Open in the very first round, losing to Oleksandra Oliynykova despite taking a one-set lead.
It was always going to be a testing affair, facing a player renowned for her awkward and at times turgid play style.
However, when the 20-year-old took the first set, she seemed on track to
Alas, the two players traded breaks throughout the second and third sets, with Oliynykova deservedly coming out on top in the end.
If this match has shown anything ahead of Roland Garros, it’s that Alexandra Eala has a really daunting problem that could derail her entire campaign in Paris.
Alexandra Eala’s big worry heading into Roland Garros
It is a tale as old as time, but Eala will once again be fearing for her serve heading into the second Grand Slam of the season.
After all, on clay especially, it seems to be getting even more victimised.
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Today, she faced a whopping 23 break points against a player ranked 61st in the world and who specialises in high, loopy balls to outlast opponents.
And yet, even Oliynykova was able to consistently trouble the Eala serve, breaking seven times and having plenty more wasted opportunities too.
Her underwhelming serve has been an outstanding weakness ever since she emerged on tour, but the lack of progress is worrying.
Eala now faces heading to Paris in a dire position, with people counting on her to once again fly the Filipino flag, unaware of just how detrimental this weak shot will be to her chances of even winning one match.
Alex Eala has been told to improve her serve
Eala has been regularly told to improve her serve, but it seemingly is not as easy as it looks.
After all, on the surface, little progress has been made.
Andrea Petkovic recently criticised this area of her game, admitting: “I think it’s one thing and unfortunately it’s a big thing: the serve.
“In the year and a half that I have watched her now, her serve is very inconsistent. She has those weeks where she can’t make first serves and the second is very attackable.
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“Against the big hitters like Sabalenka, Rybakina and even Coco Gauff, who returns so well, it is going to be really difficult to defend your serve, despite her being one of the best returners in the game.”
What is particularly worrying is that Oliynykova is far from renowned as a big hitter, yet even she had unlimited joy when Eala served.
This does not bode well for Roland Garros.
