By MARK REY MONTEJO
Another day, another big fish for Alex Eala.
Drawing strength and inspiration from her growing number of fans – especially the Filipino crowd – the charming Eala displayed steely nerves and brought feisty world No. 8 Italian Jasmine Paolini down to her knees with a hard-fought 6-1, 7-6 (7) win to book a Round of 16 ticket in the WTA 1000 Dubai Tennis Championships in the United Arab Emirates Wednesday morning, Feb. 18 (Philippine time).
After squandering a 5-3 lead then fell behind 5-6 in the second set, the 20-year-old Eala got the needed “fuel” from her wildly-cheering fans – most of them chanting “Alex! Alex!” and she turned the center court into a football-like atmosphere.
That got Eala going, unleashing one pin-point shot after another to force a tiebreak much to the delight of the fans.
In the tiebreak, she delivered a masterclass showing on both, saving two set points with her strong hits to deny the much-experienced 30-year-old Paolini a chance of forcing a decider and close out the nerve-wracking match that lasted in one hour and 40 minutes.
The win was a redemption of sorts as Eala avenged her defeat to Paolini two years ago.
It also came two days after Eala was honored as Female Athlete of the Year by the Philippine Sportswriters Association at the Diamond Hotel.
“All the emotions are coming, the tension is so high, especially in the second set…In the tiebreak, I was trying everything to keep myself in check and in the changing events,” said Eala.
“I was thinking, this stadium is full of Filipinos, tapos sabi ko ilan kaya sa inyo ‘yong nagdadasal para sakin,” she added. “So I have to give everything I got.”
It marked No. 47 Eala’s biggest victory of the year so far as Paolini is currently within the Top 10 in the global rankings – her third overall after she also bested No. 2 Polish Iga Swiatek and then No. 5 (currently No. 17) American Madison Keys in the 2025 Miami Open.
The victory set her up a rematch against No. 32 Sorana Cirstea of Romania in the Round of 16, after the latter stunned No. 14 Linda Noskova 6-1, 6-4. The two had previously met nearly two years ago in the second round of the WTA 1000 Madrid Open, where Cirstea edged Eala in a tight three-set battle, 3-6, 7-6, 6-4.
Eala also tipped her hat to her team which reminded her to stay composed under heavy pressure.
“It’s kinda hard to hear them here, but I think they are trying to keep me calm and remind me that I was doing well and I was at a good level, so there’s nothing to change drastically,” Eala continued.
It was smooth sailing for Eala in the opening set, breaking a 1-1 deadlock by taking the next five games in dominant fashion. However, the momentum shifted quickly as Paolini, a two-time Grand Slam finalist, grabbed the early 1-0 edge in the second set before the SEA Games champion clawed her way back to build 3-1 and 5-3 leads.
Eala looked poised to close out the clash, but Paolini refused to wave the white flag. The Italian regained control after she outdueled the Filipina bet in a series of gripping rallies and deuces, particularly in the ninth as well as in the 10th, and 11th games, to seize a 6-5 edge.
At that point, it was Eala’s moment. She forced a tiebreak and ensured there would be no resurgence from Paolini, creating a 6-4 cushion that ultimately sealed the win.
