MIAMI, Florida — Alexandra Eala showcased resilience and rising form on the WTA Tour, battling back from a set down to defeat Germany’s Laura Siegemund and storm into the third round of the Miami Open in a grueling three-set clash early Friday (Philippine time) at the Hard Rock Stadium.
The Filipina standout, seeded 31st, overcame early struggles to complete a 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-1 victory in a match that stretched beyond three hours, underlining her growing maturity and physical endurance against a seasoned opponent.
Eala found herself on the back foot in the opening set after surrendering a 3-0 lead and multiple set points, eventually losing in a tightly contested tiebreak as Siegemund disrupted her rhythm with crafty shot variation.
Regrouping in the second set, the 20-year-old steadied her game, breaking serve early and dictating rallies with more authority. A brief on-court dispute appeared to ignite Eala further, as she maintained composure to level the match.
Carrying the momentum into the decider, Eala seized control from the outset, overpowering Siegemund with aggressive baseline play and superior conditioning. Although the German briefly threatened, the Filipina quickly regained command and closed out the match emphatically.
“It definitely was close. Very demanding physically and mentally, but that was one of my goals last year after this tournament, to improve physically, and here I am, fresh as a flower,” said Eala.
The victory propels Eala into the third round, where she will face Polish netter Magda Linette, who pulled off a major upset by eliminating world No. 2 Iga Swiatek, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3.
“It means the world to me and it says a lot of my progress and how I’ve developed as a player and as a person,” said Eala, recalling her success in the same tournament last year.
“I came to Miami last year as a wild card, now I’m in the third round again so I’m really, really happy, and especially having been able to compete at this level today against an amazing fighter, so I’m really happy,” she added./PN
