Alex Eala hurdles home bet Julia Grabher in Linz Open Round of 32

April 8 ------ MAKING a clear statement in her clay season opener, Alex Eala took care of home bet Julia Grabher, 6-4, 6-3, to start her campaign on the red surface strong at the Upper Austria Ladies Linz. The win sends her into a second-round clash with world No. 12 and fourth seed Jelena Ostapenko, setting up a potential high-stakes test early in her clay swing in a match that lasted an hour and 42 minutes.

Eala looks to better her 2–4 record across four clay-court tournaments in 2025 as she opens a new stretch on the surface. The 20-year-old stayed in control of the key moments, pulling away late in a tight opening set against the 29-year-old vet.

Locked at 4-4, Eala made her move, holding for 5-4 before breaking to take the set, 6-4.

She carried that surge into the following set, breaking free from a 2-1 start with a three-game run for a 4-1 cushion. Grabher threatened at 4-3, but Eala was steady, pushing to 5-3 and closing in on the finish.

Eala posted a 2-0 record against Ostapenko in 2025, winning 7-6, 7-5 at the Miami Open and 0-6, 6-2, 3-2 at the Lexus Eastbourne Open. The Filipina world No. 45 trained in the indoor courts of the Rafa Nadal Academy in her week-long preparation for the event after finishing in the round of 16 of the Miami Open, marking her last hard-court tournament of the stretch.

The Linz Open is Eala’s ninth tournament of the year, following stints in Auckland, the Australian Open, Manila, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Dubai, Indian Wells, and Miami. The win marked Eala's 13th victory of the year. Eala credited her consistency and composure after the win, noting how she matched her opponent’s level from start to finish. “I kept the intensity well throughout the match —she’s an intense player,” she said.

The Filipina also took the moment to acknowledge the strong support from the crowd, greeting fans back home and in attendance. “Hello mga kababayan, di ko inakala na ang dami niyo dito, salamat sa pagsubaybay,” she said.

Source: spin.ph