Alex Eala outlasted world No. 69 Donna Vekić, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, in their Round of 32 clash at the WTA 250 ASB Classic 2026 held on Tuesday at Auckland, New Zealand.
Eala Showcases Composure in 2026’s First Three-Set Battle
The Filipina sensation raced to a 3-0 lead in the opening set, but Vekic’s experience showed as the Paris 2024 Olympic silver medalist clawed back to win the final two games to take the set.
The 20-year-old Filipina answered with renewed aggression in set 2, jumping ahead early once more and grinding through long rallies. A pivotal hold after multiple deuces at 4-3 allowed Eala to break in the next game and eventually force a decider.
Before the third set began, Eala required a medical timeout, yet she returned composed as both players traded games in a tense affair.
Locked at 3-3, the world No. 53 raised her level, breaking serve to move ahead 5-3. Although she was broken while serving for the match, Eala stayed on the front foot, attacking Vekic’s delivery again to seal the win and spark a thunderous celebration.
FINAL SCORES
- SET 1: 4-6
- SET 2: 6-4
- SET 3: 6-4
The victory sent Eala into the Round of 16, where she will face fellow Croatian Petra Marcinko.
The victory also capped a memorable start to her Auckland campaign, which included a doubles upset of Venus Williams and Elina Svitolina with her young partner, Iva Jovic.
Protecting the Lead When It Mattered
One major flaw of the WTA 125 Guadalajara champion last year was a seeming inability to protect leads, whether a set or games.Too often, she’d start strong and get an early lead, but then falter in the succeeding sets and blow that advantage.
That wasn’t the case against Vekić. Yes, Eala blew an early 3-0 lead in the first set, but when she got the lead in the next two, she was able to protect it with precise shotmaking and a poised, controlled approach. This is something the Filipina needs to do more consistently if she is to take the momentum of a breakthrough 2025 into an even better 2026.
