A first assignment for Alex Eala, passed with flying colors.
Eala came out firing from the onset of the Wimbledon women's singles first round to pull off a straight-set 6–1, 6–2 drubbing of Mexico’s Renata Zarazua in London, June 30.
The Pinay found her groove through her forehand and drop shots before breaking away from a deuce-filled first set to gradually stamp her class throughout the match.
Prior to that, the No. 29 seed lost to Elise Mertens, 3–6, 3–6, in the round of 32 of the Bad Homburg Open women's singles last June 22.
Yet this time, the Filipina rekindled her momentum in style.
Eala found herself in a 1–1 tie in the first set, trading drops and backhand shots to go toe-to-toe against the Mexican.
But the Pinay quickly charged ahead in the third and fourth game through crisp forehand winners which left Zarazua stumped on returns for a 3–1 lead.
Sustaining her surge, she then escaped a total of 11 deuces and 10 break points in the fifth to seventh game before ruling the outset with a 6–1 shutout.
Eala continued her dominant tale in the second set, blitzing to a two-game edge before padding her advantage in the next four games at 5–1.
However, Zarazua held her nerve, as she took the seventh game at 5–2 after capitalizing on the Filipina’s successive unforced errors.
But crucial mistakes ultimately paved the way for an Eala forehand winner in the eighth game which sealed the deal in 1 hour and 18 minutes.
Eala will next test her mettle against Maya Joint in the second round of Wimbled on, July 2.
Written by Vince Garcia, Insight PH
Vince Garcia, Insight PH is a dedicated campus journalist and contributor. Their insightful writing sparks meaningful conversations and keeps the community informed.
