MANILA — Alexandra Eala strengthened her growing reputation as one of the WTA Tour’s rising grass-court threats after overpowering world No. 22 Donna Vekic of Croatia, 7-5, 6-4, to storm into the Round of 16 of the Berlin Open on Wednesday night (Philippine time).
The world No. 35 Filipina delivered another composed and clinical performance against the former Wimbledon semifinalist, extending her mastery over Vekic with a third straight victory this year and securing one of the biggest wins of her grass-court campaign.
Eala needed just one hour and 39 minutes to dispatch the experienced Croatian in straight sets, showcasing her improved serve, aggressive baseline play, and ability to capitalize on key opportunities against one of the tour’s established grass-court competitors.
The 21-year-old finished with four aces and did not commit a single double fault while converting four of her six break-point chances.
Eala also dominated statistically, winning 77 total points compared to Vekic’s 69 and capturing 13 games overall against the Croatian’s nine.
After a tightly fought opening set, Eala broke through late to claim a crucial 7-5 advantage before maintaining momentum in the second set. She secured another vital break and never looked back en route to a 6-4 victory.
Match statistics further underscored Eala’s control as she won 47 service points and 30 receiving points. She also strung together a maximum run of five consecutive games during the contest.
Vekic, a former Olympic silver medalist and one of the women’s tour’s most respected grass-court players, struggled to convert her opportunities, managing only two breaks from 14 break-point chances.
The victory marked Eala’s third triumph over Vekic this season after earlier wins at the ASB Classic in New Zealand and the 35th Kooyong Classic, further highlighting the Filipina’s dominance in the matchup.
With the win, Eala moves into the Round of 16 of the prestigious WTA 500 tournament and continues to build momentum ahead of the Wimbledon Championships./PN
