MANILA — Alexandra Eala credited patience and mental toughness for steering her through a tense battle against Canada’s Leylah Fernandez, saying those qualities enabled her to reach the quarterfinals of the Mubadala DC Open in Washington, D.C., and continue her breakthrough campaign on the WTA Tour.
Fresh from her straight-sets victory over the dethroned champion, the Filipina star said difficult windy conditions tested her composure throughout the match, but she remained focused on controlling only what she could.
“It was definitely a factor, but ultimately something I couldn’t control. I think I had definitely some tough moments in that match, and credits to Leylah. She put me in some really tough positions, so I think I’m super proud of how I fought and how I stayed in there,” Eala said in a post-game interview.
Eala admitted her game dipped in the second set as Fernandez raised her level, forcing the Filipina to rely on patience and resilience to regain momentum and close out the match.
“Yeah, I know that she was playing a little better, and maybe I had my level dropped a little bit. I think those are very tricky moments when you know your level’s dropped and you want to do better, but things just for one reason or another aren’t coming out. I think patience was key there, and just trying to work it out and have a strong mentality in terms of trying to find solutions,” she said.
The 21-year-old also emphasized the role of her support team, saying the strong relationship she shares with her coach and the rest of her camp has helped her stay composed under pressure.
Although she has been greeted by enthusiastic Filipino supporters in Washington, Eala said her demanding tournament schedule has left little opportunity to explore the city.
“You know, I would have loved to see more of the city, but the matches are very demanding. The training is demanding, and this is the first priority. I enjoy so much here, and I enjoy so much on tour, but I’m still working. So maybe on the free time, if you guys have any suggestions, let me know,” she said.
Eala will next face Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals after the former world No. 3 defeated Russia’s Polina Kudermetova in the Round of 16./PN
