Alex Eala falls short again as Jovic ends US Open run

September 7 ------ Three tries at figuring out Iva Jovic, and Alex Eala still has not found the antidote. Alex Eala once again fell short against Jovic, losing her comeback bid after dropping the opening set, 5-7, 6-3, 4-6, in the third round of the 2026 US Open at Flushing Meadows, New York.

Playing for the first time at the 23,771-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, both players put on a spectacle of elite shotmaking for a capacity crowd inside the biggest tennis venue in the world. Jovic had already asserted her superior strength over Eala, scoring dominant victories over the Filipina twice earlier this year. It was more of the same at the start of the first set, as Jovic raced to a 4-1 lead after breaking Eala twice. Eala, however, refused to be overpowered this time around.

Fighting back, the Filipina broke Jovic twice to level the set at 4-4. But she struggled to protect her serve in the closing stages, allowing Jovic to regain the advantage and eventually take the opening set after holding serve in the 12th game. Eala displayed more patience in the second set, extending rallies and pinning Jovic behind the baseline. She jumped to an early 3-1 lead and appeared to have seized the momentum.

Jovic, however, showed the caliber that has made her the youngest player in the world’s top 20, keeping the set close at 4-3. Eala responded with her third service break of the match in the eighth game before closing out the set in the ninth, claiming her first-ever set against Jovic.

The high-quality tennis continued in the decider, with both players maintaining the level they showed in the opening two sets. Eala drew first blood by breaking Jovic in the opening game and building a 2-0 lead. Jovic responded by taking the next two games to level the set at 2-2. Eala then won the next two games to move ahead, 4-2.

Two break points came the Filipina’s way in the seventh game with a chance to extend her lead, but Jovic refused to go away. She held serve and then claimed the next two games to turn the tables and move ahead, 5-4. Looking back on that stretch, Jovic said she tried to stay composed and draw energy from the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd despite much of the support going toward Eala. “I just tried to take my time in those moments and feel the energy, feel the crowd even though they weren’t always rooting for me. I love you guys. You gave me so much energy to just keep pushing and just leave everything on the court for the win,” Jovic said.

With her back against the wall, Eala saved a match point and held serve to level the set for the final time at 5-5. Jovic, though, had just a little more left in the tank. She won the final two games to clinch the three-hour, four-minute battle and improve to 3-0 against Eala this year. “I don’t even know what to say. That felt like a marathon. I felt like I lost my sanity five times over to win that match. But it’s really worth it for this feeling,” Jovic said after the victory.

Following her victory over her former doubles partner and good friend, Jovic advances to the next round, where she will face fourth seed and two-time Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff of the United States.

Source: tiebreakertimes.com.ph