Alex Eala exits Stuttgart Open in loss to Leylah Fernandez

MANILA, April 15 ------ Filipina tennis star Alex Eala bowed out of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix after a straight-sets loss to world No. 25 Leylah Fernandez in their opening-round clash in Stuttgart, Germany. It marked Fernandez’s first match on red clay this season, and the Filipina-Canadian wasted no time asserting control.

Both players came in with attacking mindsets, but it was Fernandez who dictated early. She consistently pressured Eala’s second serve, wrong-footing the Filipina while mixing in variety—including a well-executed drop shot winner—to surge to a commanding 4-0 lead in the opening set. Fernandez’s sharp angles and ability to change direction kept Eala on the defensive, as she extended her advantage to 5-0.

Despite strong crowd support rallying behind Eala, the Filipina managed to get on the scoreboard late, but Fernandez comfortably sealed the first set, 6-1. Eala showed signs of a fightback in the second set. She opened with renewed aggression, firing an ace and two clean winners to take her first lead of the match at 1-0.

The 20-year-old continued to hold her ground, producing another solid service game—including an ace—to stay within striking distance at 3-2. But Fernandez kept the ball striking and angles going to get the double break and lead 5-2. Eala broke to close to 5-3. She saved 2 match points at 15-40, and pulled closer at 4-5. Fernandez closed out at match point #3 to win 6-1, 6-4. Fernandez, who reached a career-high ranking of No. 13 in August 2022, improved her win-loss record this season to 4-9.

Fernandez described her opening-round duel with Eala as “like playing a mirror” after securing a 6-1, 6-4 victory at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. “Oh, man, 100 percent,” Fernandez said, likening the match to playing with a mirror. “I remember watching her play a couple years back at the Rafa Nadal Academy and she was playing super fast. I remember telling my coach at the time, like, ‘Wow, she plays quick!”

Fernandez added that her team anticipated a tough battle against the Filipina star, who has been steadily rising on the WTA Tour. “My coach said, ‘You know, she’s not gonna go down easy, as you can see. She’s gonna fight. You’re gonna have to take the match,’” she shared. “So I was glad that I trusted him, and I just trusted the training that we’ve done. Happy to get the win here.”

Despite the convincing win, Fernandez admitted there is still room for improvement. When asked to rate her performance, she replied: “I’d say a 7 out of 10.” “It was 8, 9 out of 10 until the 6-1, 5-2, but, you know, there’s always that little lapse of concentration. I’m just glad that I stayed positive as much as possible. And of course, the crowd helped me.”

Source: news.abs-cbn.com