Alex Eala successfully hurdled her opening match in the Italian Open Round of 128 in Rome on Wednesday, defeating Poland’s Magdalena Frech in a hard-fought three-set battle, 6–0, 3–6, 6–4.
The Filipina tennis prodigy dominanty swept the opening set, 6–0, but nearly lost her momentum in the second frame after a series of errors allowed Frech to bounce back and claim the set, 3–6.
Frech carried that rhythm into the deciding set, racing to an early 3–1 lead. However, Eala mounted a fierce comeback, racking up three consecutive games to snatch the advantage at 4–3.
The Polish player quickly retaliated, firing a service ace in the eighth game to level the final set at 4–4.
The match reached a critical juncture in the ninth game during an intense baseline exchange. Eala earned the upper hand by securing three advantage points, while a string of unforced errors from Frech allowed the Filipina to break the deadlock and move within a game of victory at 5–4.
Though she faced stiff resistance trying to close out the match, Eala ultimately sealed the win with a decisive backhand shot at the end of a grueling rally to book her ticket to the next round.
Eala is slated to clash with China’s Xinyu Wang, the tournament’s World No. 31 seed, in the Round of 64.