MANILA — Alexandra Eala rallied from a set down and dominated the deciding frame to stun Paris Olympic champion and former world No. 4 Zheng Qinwen of China, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, in the opening round of the Mubadala DC Open on Tuesday (Wednesday in the Philippines) in Washington, D.C.
The statement victory propelled the Filipina tennis sensation into the Round of 16, where she will face Filipina-Canadian standout Leylah Fernandez.
Eala started aggressively and raced to a 2-0 advantage in the opening set, but Zheng gradually found her rhythm and captured the crucial games down the stretch to take the frame.
Facing elimination in the second set, Eala refused to fold. She trailed 3-4 before reeling off three consecutive games to seize the set and force a decider.
The Filipina completely took control in the third set, storming to a 4-0 lead before Zheng finally stopped the run.
Eala quickly regained command and won the final two games to complete the come-from-behind upset over one of the biggest names on the Women’s Tennis Association Tour.
Following the match, Eala said her coach had urged her to remain patient and persistent despite losing the opening set.
“He said that, you know, I have to keep going because if I’m there every ball, I’ll have my chances. And I did. Like always, he’s right.”
The victory set up an intriguing Round-of-16 encounter with Fernandez, who also traces her Filipino heritage through her mother.
Eala praised her next opponent but said her immediate priority was recovering physically from the demanding three-set battle.
“Leylah is such an amazing player and an amazing person as well. So I think right now my first priority is to recover and take care of my body so that I can arrive in the best shape possible to compete,” she said./PN
