MANILA — Alexandra Eala displayed poise and resilience under pressure as she outlasted Poland’s Magdalena Frech, 6-0, 3-6, 6-4, to advance to the next round of the Italian Open on Wednesday evening in Rome, Italy.
The rising Filipina tennis sensation delivered a dominant opening set before weathering a fierce comeback from Frech in the next two frames, regrouping just in time to seal the hard-fought Round of 128 victory at Pietrangeli.
Eala showed composure in crucial stretches of the match, finishing with 82 total points compared to Frech’s 75 while winning 15 games overall against her opponent’s 10.
Despite failing to record an ace and committing four double faults, the 20-year-old remained steady on serve, landing 68 percent of her first serves and winning 56 percent of those points.
She proved even more effective on her second serve, capturing 68 percent of those exchanges to keep Frech from fully capitalizing on her opportunities.
Eala also made the most of her break-point chances, converting six of 12 opportunities — twice as many as Frech, who managed only three breaks in nine chances.
The Filipina ace dictated several key stretches of the contest, including a run of six consecutive games and another stretch where she won six straight points.
She also dominated in both service and return games, collecting 46 service points and 36 receiving points throughout the match.
Frech, for her part, finished with three aces and just one double fault but struggled to match Eala’s consistency during critical moments.
The Polish bet posted a 61-percent first-serve rate and won 51 percent of her first-serve points.
Eala also won nine service games compared to seven by Frech to complete the victory and arrange a next-round showdown against China’s Wang Xinyu on Friday night./PN
