Alex Eala couldn’t sustain her first-set victory as she fell in three sets to defending Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova in their Round 1 match on the evening of July 1.
A Dream Come True in Set 1 But a Nightmare in Set 2 to 3
Eala took advantage of Krejcikova’s sluggish start and service woes, including five double faults in the first set alone, to surge to a 5-2 lead.
Krejcikova, who had played just six matches all year due to injury, struggled with consistency and racked up unforced errors, giving Eala the chance to control the pace with solid groundstrokes and composed service games
The young Filipina showed poise during a lengthy eighth game that featured six deuces. Although Krejcikova managed to extend it, Eala eventually held her serve to clinch the first set after 49 minutes of action. Her aggressive returns and steady baseline play stunned the two-time Grand Slam champion, who admitted she was caught off guard.
Final Score of Set 1: 6-3
The ranked no. 16 from the Czech Republic quickly regrouped in the second set, upping her aggression and breaking the rhythm of the ranked no. 56 from the Philippines with relentless returns and effective net play.
In the second set, the 29 year old Krejcikova jumped to a 5-0 advantage, showcasing improved court movement and cutting down her unforced errors. The 20 year old Eala briefly mounted resistance by winning two games, but Krejcikova took the eighth to close the set and force a decider.
Final Score of Set 2: 6-2
Krejcikova’s momentum carried into the final set, where she raced to a 3-0 lead, keeping Eala on the backfoot.
The Eastbourne Open Finalist Eala, held serve in the fourth game to get on the scoreboard at 3-1, but the Czech dominated from there, sealing the match with a powerful down-the-line backhand after just over two hours of play. Despite Eala’s valiant effort, Krejcikova’s sharper shot selection and court awareness proved too much in the closing stages.
Final Score of Set 3: 6-1
Still a Historic Debut, and the Champ’s Triumph Continues
Despite the early exit, Alex Eala still made her Filipino fans proud as she became the first Filipina to debut at the Grand Slam of Wimbledon Open.
She had also become the first Filipino player, male or female, in the Open era to compete in the singles main draw of all four Grand Slams.
After the match, here’s what the defending champ had to say with her hard fought win: “I would like start with giving the credit to Alex… [The way] she played in the first set, she was smashing the ball and she was cleaning the lines and all that,” Krejcikova said.
“Wow, wow, it’s the next generation coming. She’s gonna come up and she’s gonna be really good in a couple of years. So first of all, big credit, big credit to her.”
“Definitely six months ago I was in a lot of pain in my back and I didn’t really know how my career was going to go,” Krejcikova said. “I’m super happy and super excited that I can be here and that I can play on such a great court.”
The result kept Krejcikova’s unbeaten record in Wimbledon first-round matches intact, improving to 5-0. She is set to face Caroline Dolehide ranked no. 67 from the USA in the Round 2 of the tournament.
Up Next: Doubles Tournament with Eva Lys Against Olga Danilovic and Anastasia Potapova
Alex’s journey in Wimbledon Open has not yet ended as this time, she’ll team up with Eva Lys as they are set to face Olga Danilovic and Anastasia Potapova.
Their Round 1 match in the Doubles Tournament will happen tomorrow, July 2, with the time still set to be determined.
Lys, the 23 year old from Germany, is currently ranked no. 61 in the singles rankings. While their opponents, Danilovic, the 24 year old Serbian is ranked no. 37 and Potapova, the 24 year old from Russia, is currently ranked no. 44.
Before Wimbledon, Alex had participated in different grass court tournaments. These are: Birmingham, Ilkley, Nottingham and Eastbourne.
In the WTA 250 Lexus Eastbourne Open, Alex had to go through the qualifying round in order to make it to the main draw.
She was able to beat No. 82 Zeynep Sonmez and No. 56 Hailey Baptiste in the two qualifying rounds. In Round of 32 she came out victorious against No. 61 Lucia Bronzette and in Round of 16 won against No. 20 Jelena Ostanpenko. While for the quarterfinals she defeated the No. 42 Dayana Yastremska and also beat No. 110 Varvara Gracheva in the Semifinals.
And for her first ever WTA Finals appearance, she faced No. 51 Maya Joint but lost after a grueling 3 sets as she settled for a runner-up finish.
A Return to the Hard Court?!
As per the story of Kate M. Reyes from Spin.ph, the living tennis legend from the Philippines, is eyeing to return to the hard court, specifically in the Grand Slam at US Open come August 2025.
Though there are no confirmed tournaments yet on where Alex would participate in for her preparation at US Open, many fans are yet again expecting a lot from the newest superstar of tennis.
It can be recalled that last March, Eala had a “cinderella-run” in the hard court of Miami Open only to lose in the semifinals match against no. 4 Jessica Pegula.
