Eala averts disaster vs Zheng, storms to Mubadala DC Open R16
Fresh from a quick trip to Manila, Eala opens her hard court campaign on a high note.
Daily TribuneFresh from a quick trip to Manila, Eala opens her hard court campaign on a high note.
Alex Eala shakes off a slow start for a 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 win against China’s Zheng Qinwen in the Mubadala DC Open round of 32, Wednesday morning (Philippine time) in Washington D.C.
Eala advances to the round of 16 where the defending champion, Canadian-Filipino Leylah Fernandez awaits her.
The two last met on the clay court for the Stuttgart Open round of 32 where Fernandez dominated Eala, 6-1 6-4.
The Filipina capitalized on Zheng’s woes from the service line in the first set, but the latter showed why she is the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medalist by claiming the next games.
After a nip-and-tuck affair, Eala went laser-focused as the clinched the second set to force a decider.
Prior to the start of her North American campaign, Eala had a a brief trip to the Philippines where she met up with her fans after a successful and historical stint in the grass court season where she reached the Wimbledon round of 16.
