MANILA — Top-seeded Alexandra Eala launched her Birmingham Open campaign in commanding fashion, crushing Australia’s Priscilla Hon, 6-0, 6-2, in just 59 minutes to book a place in the second round and signal her readiness for the grass-court season.
The Filipina tennis star barely broke a sweat as she overwhelmed the world No. 143 Australian, reeling off 11 consecutive games and dictating play from start to finish in one of her most dominant performances of the year.
Ranked No. 27 in the WTA singles rankings, Eala completely dismantled Hon in the opening set, winning every game and extending her run to five straight games in the second frame before her opponent finally got on the scoreboard.
Hon managed to claim two consecutive games to narrow the deficit to 5-2, but Eala quickly restored order and served out the match in the following game to complete the emphatic victory.
The 21-year-old Filipina excelled both on serve and return, finishing with a commanding statistical advantage. She collected 27 receiving points compared to Hon’s 10 and also dominated service points, 26-17.
“I think it was a good match, a good performance… and I’m happy, of course especially this is my first match on grass [this season],” the Filipina said in a post-game interview.
“Maraming salamat mga kababayan. I didn’t expect many Filipinos to be here. Significantly more than last year, and magkita tayo bukas,” she added.
The convincing win also allowed Eala to quickly move past her disappointment in the doubles competition, where she and Czech partner Nikola Bartunkova bowed out against British duo Harriet Dart and Maia Lumsden.
Eala will face either Belgium’s Greet Minnen or Russia’s Alina Charaeva in the second round as she continues her bid for the Birmingham Open title./PN
