Elena Rybakina ended Alexandra Eala’s hopes of a third consecutive victory in Rome.
Rybakina, the world number two, proved too strong for a resilient Eala, who more than proved her worth throughout the third-round contest.
The Kazakh fired six aces on her way to a 6-4, 6-3 victory, breaking Eala’s serve on three occasions.
Has that Alex Eala performance made you more or less confident of her chances at Roland Garros? 🤔
Eala can take great pride in her performance, despite the loss. The Filipina’s groundstrokes proved potent throughout the match and she neutralised Rybakina’s power in many instances.
Jill Craybas, the former world number 39, has offered her take on Eala’s performance against the two-time Grand Slam champion.
Jill Craybas praises Alex Eala’s ‘heart’ during loss to Elena Rybakina
“I thought she gave a great effort,” Craybas said while commentating for Sky Sports. “She was hustling so hard out there.
“Showed such heart, and I think she’ll learn from this experience.
“This is the first time she’s played Rybakina – probably picked up on some things that could improve, but Rybakina was just outstanding and so many of those numbers are winners.
Eala is set to gain 55 WTA ranking points and subsequently rise four places in the WTA rankings following her third round performance in Rome.
The 20-year-old will now turn her attention towards Roland Garros, which is set to begin on May 24.
Eala was defeated in the first round of the 2025 event by Colombian Emiliana Arango.
This year, Eala is unlikely to be seeded for the event, as she is currently projected to be world number 38 following the conclusion of the Italian Open.
In Grand Slam singles events, only the top 32 players are seeded.
Will Alex Eala’s serve stop her from winning a Grand Slam?
She only won 37% of her second serve points in her Madrid opener…
Elena Rybakina is clear of the field
As per statisticians OptaAce, Elena Rybakina is now the only player on the WTA Tour to have reached the Round of 16 at the all six WTA-1000 events this season.
Remarkably, despite reaching the round of 16 at six consecutive WTA 1000 events, Rybakina is yet to win a WTA 1000 title this year.
The Kazakh’s best performance at a WTA 1000 event occurred in Indian Wells, where she was defeated in the final by Aryna Sabalenka.
Elena Rybakina’s WTA 1000 performances this year
- Qatar Open – quarter-finals
- Dubai – round of 16
- Indian Wells – runner-up
- Miami – semi-finals
- Madrid – round of 16
- Rome – ?
After defeating Eala in Rome, Rybakina will play Laura Siegemund or former world number one Karolina Pliskova in the Italian Open round of 16.
If Rybakina advances to the quarter-finals, she will play Nikola Bartunkova or Elina Svitolina.
The Kazakh is now the clear favourite for the Italian Open title, following Aryna Sabalenka’s shock loss to Sorana Cirstea on Saturday.
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