Alexandra Eala has marched into the Berlin Open second round after a superb victory over Donna Vekic.
Eala’s first-strike tennis excelled against the Queen’s Club champion, helping her claim a 7-5, 6-4 victory in the Steffi Graf Stadium.
Eala, who could secure Wimbledon seeding with a strong performance at the German event, will play world number two Elena Rybakina in the second round.
What is the best win of Alexandra Eala’s career so far? 🤔
Iga Swiatek in Miami, Clara Tauson at the US Open, Jasmine Paolini in Dubai, or a different match?
Following her impressive victory over the world number 33, Eala offered her thoughts on the match while speaking to Sky Sports.
Alex Eala reacts to her victory over Donna Vekic in Berlin
At one point it seemed the Filipina was going to throw away the commanding position she found herself in towards the end of the match.
Eala [pictured below ahead of her first match] fell 0-40 behind while serving for the match, and seemed destined to have her serve broken.
However, the 20-year-old endeavoured, playing some excellent tennis to claw her way back into the game and eventually close out the match.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Eala revealed what she told herself while trailing 0-40 in the final game.
“I told myself that she’s fighting back, but I’m also a fighter, so I have to try,” the youngster said. “I have to try and I have to give her a hard time.
“Donna is an incredible player and she’s been showcasing it a lot lately, and every time I play her, it’s been very difficult.
“So I had a lot of expectations for this match in terms of the level that I had to bring in, and I’m happy with the intensity today.”
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As mentioned already, Eala is set to compete against second seed Elena Rybakina for a spot in the Berlin Open third round.
Rybakina won their one previous match on the Tour, beating the Filipina youngster 6-4, 6-3 at last month’s Italian Open.
Alex Eala shines on the grass
Eala’s game is tailor-made for grass courts.
Eala’s first-strike tennis, low centre of gravity and ability to neutralise powerful shots translates well on the green surface.
Of course, Rybakina represents an extremely tough test in the Berlin Open second round.
The Kazakhstani star is well-recognised as one of the best grass-court players on the WTA Tour, as demonstrated by her title-winning campaign at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships.
However, Rybakina has not been playing her best as of late, suffering surprise exits at the French Open and Queen’s to Yuliia Starodubtseva and Katie Boulter.
If Eala can carry Wednesday’s form into her match with Rybakina, any outcome is possible.
