By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Alex Eala dumped hometown bet Julia Grabher, 6-4, 6-3, to kick off her clay season on winning note at the Upper Austria Linz Open on Wednesday, April 8 (Philippine time).
The unseeded Eala, however, needed to dig deep in the opening set, holding her ground against a pesky Grabher before finally breaking serve in the 10th game to gain the upperhand.
With momentum on her side, Eala surged to a 4-1 lead in the second set as she capitalizing on Grabher’s service lapse in the fourth game.
But the Austrian, ranked No. 89 and 43 spots below Eala, refused to go quietly. She held serve in the sixth game and broke the Filipina in the seventh to cut the deficit to 3-4.
Eala quickly regained control, breaking back in the eighth game before closing out the match in the ninth.
The victory — her first on clay this season — sets up a marquee rematch against Grand Slam champion and fourth seed Jelena Ostapenko, who received an opening-round bye.
The former Grand Slam champion is the very player who Eala beat twice last year, including in her historic semis finish in the Miami Open that set the tone for a fruitful 2025 season.
