MANILA — Alexandra Eala delivered the biggest victory of her young career, rallying from a set down to crush world No. 3 Jessica Pegula, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0, and capture the Mubadala DC Open crown on Monday (Tuesday, Philippine time) in Washington, D.C., becoming the first Filipina in the Open Era to win a WTA Tour singles singles championship.
The 21-year-old Victorias City, Negros Occidental native also soared to a career-high No. 20 in the WTA live rankings after completing her historic title run.
The championship match resumed after a lengthy rain delay with Pegula leading 6-4, 2-1 in the second set. But Eala returned with renewed composure and relentless aggression, taking the second set 6-4 before completely overwhelming the top-seeded American in the decider with a stunning 6-0 shutout.
Eala converted five of her nine break-point opportunities and dominated the statistics, finishing with 80 total points against Pegula’s 61. She also won 84 percent of her first-serve points and claimed 31 receiving points, consistently putting the American under pressure.
Following the match, Eala praised Pegula and thanked her for another memorable battle.
“It’s always a pleasure to share the court with you. I definitely learned so, so much, especially from your forehand lines and your backhand crosses. So I’m really looking forward to hopefully many more finals with you,” Eala said.
Pegula, meanwhile, commended the Filipina’s remarkable rise and the growing support she has attracted around the world.
“I’m just glad to see how far you’ve come over the last couple of years when you first played, to see the amazing fans that follow you every single place you go,” Pegula said.
Eala’s breakthrough championship completed an extraordinary run in Washington, where she defeated an elite cast of opponents, including Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, defending champion Leylah Fernandez, second seed Elina Svitolina, four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, and finally Pegula to secure the biggest title ever won by a Filipino tennis player./PN
