Alex Eala outlasts Romanian foe, barges into Nottingham Open main draw

MANILA, Philippines, June 16 ------ Playing her fifth match in five days and her third straight three-setter, Alex Eala summoned every ounce of energy she had left to keep pace with a fellow 20-year-old who just won a WTA 125 title. Eala reached the main draw of the WTA 250 Lexus Nottingham Open in the United Kingdom after surviving power-serving Anca Todoni of Romania in another gripping encounter, 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-3 in the last round of the qualifiers.

The third set was a battle of grit, nerves, and stamina. Ahead at 2-1, Eala had a chance to take a two-game lead when she had break points three times in the fourth game. The world No. 87 Todoni, who served 13 aces the entire match, somehow found a way to hold serve to once again draw level at 2-2. In the thick of her preparations for her maiden main draw appearance in Wimbledon by the end of June, Eala showcased not only improved movement on the grass court but also a renewed determination to keep fighting until the end, blanking Todoni in the next three games to put some distance between them.

The Romanian put up one final piece of resistance by holding serve in the eighth game to narrow the deficit, but Eala put an end to Todoni’s campaign by holding serve in the ninth game to finish the match after two hours and twenty minutes. Consistent with her last four matches, Eala drew first blood by coming out strong in the opening set. From a 2-2 stalemate, the Filipina world No. 77 wrested control of the set in the sixth game when she broke Todoni to go up 4-2. That was all the separation she needed to claim the first set in nine games after just 33 minutes.

Todoni, still riding the momentum of her championship run in the WTA 125 Open delle Puglie in Bari, Italy on June 9, would not go away easily. Even when Eala seemingly was in cruise control by zooming to a 4-2 lead in the second set from a service break in the third game, Todoni displayed the poise of a recent champion and slowly clawed her way back in the match, eventually taking the lead at 5-4.

The Filipina tennis ace forced a tiebreaker and had the opportunity to close out when she led at 4-3. That turned out to be Eala’s last chance to score. The Romanian swept the next four points to even the match at one set apiece. In the main draw which begins on Monday (Tuesday, June 17, Manila time), Eala will be up against a top-flight field that includes top seed and world No. 22 Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil, world No. 23 second-seed Clara Tauson of Canada, world No. 27 Yuia Putintseva of Kazahkstan, and 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez of Canada.

Source: rappler.com