Alex Eala, the 19-year-old tennis sensation from the Philippines, scored a historic first-round victory over world No. 64 Viktoriya Tomova of Bulgaria in the Round of 128 at the WTA 1000 Madrid Open.
Eala Shows New Form on Clay, Stuns World No. 64 in Madrid Open
After Alex’s short stint in the previous WTA Oeiras Open in Portugal, she returned to the clay-court and faced off against a higher-ranked Viktoriya Tomova.
The result? It appears that the No. 72 tennis player has found her traction as she wins in 2 sets.
Final Score: 6 – 3, 6 – 2
Even though Alex has struggled on clay compared to her impressive run at the Miami Open on hard courts, it seems that her recent tournament in Portugal gave her valuable preparation to adapt and dominate in this new environment.
Sweeter the Second Time? Eala Eyes Another Win vs Swiatek on Clay
They say that love is sweeter the second time, but if Alex wins her next game against this familiar opponent, I guarantee you that it will undoubtedly feel a lot better than the first time.
This win by Alex Eala qualified her to be in the Round of 64, wherein she would face world No. 2 Iga Swiatek, the opponent she had fought and beaten in the Quarterfinals of the Miami Open.
But things are different this time, as Swiatek is the current defending champion in Madrid and has a 4-time French Open title under her belt. The 23-year-old from Poland is more familiar in this playing field and is considered one of the best to have ever played on clay courts.
With their upcoming meeting on the evening of April 23, 2025 (PH Date), can Alex recreate her elite performance just like in their first meeting and come out victorious?
