Alex Eala’s sparkling grass-court season has continued at Wimbledon, having come from behind to beat Maya Joint earlier today.
In what was a rematch of last year’s Eastbourne International final, many were curious to see just how far the Filipina sensation might have progressed since that crushing defeat.
When she fell down an early set, it seemed like little had changed.
But coming back to win the next two sets, the last by a 6-0 margin, was indicative of a player who has come on leaps and bounds in the last 12 months.
Alexandra Eala acknowledged this in her on-court interview at Wimbledon, whilst also reserving special praise for Joint.
Alex Eala reacts after beating Maya Joint at Wimbledon
She began with a word for her team: “I have been working extremely hard. My team over there has been working extremely hard, and… You know, I really feel like, you know, it’s paying off. So these wins mean a lot.”
Then, touching on the match and her opponent, fresh off beating Serena Williams in the first round, Eala added: “Yeah, I really had to dig deep, especially after that first set.
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“Like you said, Maya came out on fire; she came out ready, and, um, I was expecting a really good match, of course. We’ve competed in some very good conditions before, so I was prepared for a good match.
“She obviously is coming off an amazing win. I watched it, and, you know, I think she played really well, handled herself really well in that situation. So, congratulations to Maya.”
As touched upon earlier, this marked revenge for last year’s Eastbourne final, where Eala squandered four championship points before losing.
Her growth from that point has been stark, as she referenced: “So, I’m really happy. I think I improved a lot in this past year, and I’m happy that I’m able to look back at that loss, and I’m able to smile.”
Eala finished with a word for the fans: “It’s absolutely incredible. I also want to thank Maya’s fans, or anybody else who watched; I think the atmosphere today was amazing. It was electric, respectful, and all that I could have hoped for.”
Tracy Austin claims this win was a ‘big deal’ for Alex Eala
Speaking live on the BBC’s feed, Tracy Austin offered her verdict on Eala’s battling display.
The American pundit was full of praise, particularly following their last meeting last year.
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Austin claimed: “Eala has played a lot of grass court tennis this year. She has a massive following, just like Fonseca does from Brazil. Eala played Birmingham 125 and won that title and then played in Berlin and beat Rybakina and Svitolina back to back, so she has a lot of match wins coming in.
“This match was the rematch of the championship final at Eastbourne, which Joint won, saving four Championship points. I remember Eala was in tears in the trophy ceremony, being that close to your first title. So this was a big deal for Eala today.”
