Alex Eala won her first ever match in the Italian Open after posting a hard-fought 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 victory over world No. 45 Magdalena Frech of Poland in the Round of 128 at the Foro Italico in Rome on Wednesday.

Eala, 20, needed two hours and seven minutes to beat Frech and advance to the Last 64 of this prestigious Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 1000 event.

The Rafael Nadal Academy alumna started the first set strong as she bageled the older, more seasoned Frech for a 1-0 lead.

Frech had a 5-2 advantage when Eala held her serve to extend the second set. But the 28-year-old Polish held her serve as well to tie the match at 1-1.

Tied at 4-4 in the third frame, Eala held her serve before breaking that of Frech to wrap up the match and punch a ticket to the next round, where she will face world No. 31 Wang Xinyu of China.

Prior to facing Frech, Eala expressed her admiration to the lovely Italian city, saying that it is the most unique among all the places she had been through in the professional circuit,

“Rome — the venue here is really different. They call it the Eternal City, right? It’s very historic, with a lot of statues, and it’s very artistic. It brings another dimension to the tour,” Eala said in an interview.

“I actually went to the Vatican yesterday with my team. And of course, the pasta here is incredible. I’m also a big tiramisu fan.”

Still adjusting to the layout and courts, Eala, ranked no. 42 in the world, hopes to go deep in the Italian Open while getting familiar with her playstyle on clay courts.

“No, I haven’t played on many of the courts yet since it’s only my second year. I’m hoping that by the end of the tournament, I’ll get to play a few more,” Eala said.