Tennis: Alex Eala outlasts Fręch, through to round 2 of Italian Open

MANILA, May 7 ------ Filipina tennis star Alex Eala battled to the second round of the Italian Open after a tough 6-0, 3-6, 6-4 win over Poland's Magdalena Fręch in Rome.

Eala appeared headed for a straightforward win after shutting out Fręch in the opening frame, but the Polish veteran shifted the momentum in the second set and forced an equalizer. Fręch surged to a 3-1 lead in the decider but Eala broke her to level at 3-all, then held her serve for a 4-3 advantage. Fręch held back to knot the count, but Eala showcased great poise in the next game, battling back from a break point to claim a crucial 5-4 lead.

She then broke Fręch to close out the match -- a special result for the Filipina who was thrilled to get a first win in Rome. "I think I've come a long way from last year. So yeah, it really means a lot because I think my team and I have really been working the past few weeks. And I think that we've been able to put out just some things that we've been working on in competition," said Eala. "I'm really proud of myself because there were so many moments, especially in the third set, where she could've gone really far," she added.

Eala was pleased with her performance in the first set, but acknowledged that Fręch "upped the level" in the second. The third set featured several swings of momentum, but Eala held firm in the clutch. She expressed her gratitude to the Filipinos who came to watch her, some of whom skipped work as her match started at 11:00 a.m. in Rome. "I was so happy that I saw a lot of Pinoys. I was surprised that I didn't think there were a lot of Pinoys here in Rome. But yeah, I'm very happy. Thank you so much," she said.

Next up for Eala is China's Xin Wang, who received a bye to the second round. "She's a great player and a really great person. I think she's super fun to be with. But she's got a killer serve, killer ground strokes, very fit. And I think it will be a good match. It will be a good fight," she said. Eala will also play in the doubles, where she will team up with Hailey Baptiste, pending the official draw.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com