MANILA – Alex Eala’s Dubai campaign gathered steam as the Filipina tennis ace punched a ticket to the next round of the prestigious Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, capitalizing on a gritty opening-set win before American Hailey Baptiste retired due to an abdominal injury, 6-4, 0-1, Sunday night (Monday in the Philippines) in Dubai, UAE.
The 18-year-old Victorias City, Negros Occidental native showed poise and polish against her higher-ranked opponent, dictating play behind a rock-solid first serve and an aggressive return game that ultimately swung the tightly contested match in her favor.
Eala landed 77 percent of her first serves, well above Baptiste’s 67 percent, and won 70 percent of those first-serve points. She also kept her errors in check, committing just one double fault compared to the American’s three.
More telling was Eala’s dominance on return. The Filipina won 22 receiving points—double Baptiste’s 11—and converted two of seven break-point chances. Baptiste managed just one break in two opportunities.
Though the contest remained close on paper—with Eala edging total points won, 41-39, and games won, 6-5—the Filipina steadily seized control before Baptiste pulled out early in the second set due to injury.
Both players finished with one ace apiece and were even in second-serve success at 50 percent, but Eala’s sharper first-serve efficiency and relentless pressure on return proved decisive.
Despite advancing under unfortunate circumstances, Eala remained grounded.
“No one wants to advance in the next round like this,” said Eala. “But I am super happy to be in the next round, these tournaments are best experience for me and playing in front of the best crowd.”
Up next for Eala is a stern test against Italy’s Jasmine Paolini as she continues her bid against elite competition in the WTA 1000 event, one of the biggest stages of her young professional career.
With growing confidence and composure against higher-ranked foes, Eala’s Dubai run signals another step forward for Philippine tennis on the global stage./PN
