Alex Eala stamped her class over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to seal a commanding 6–3, 6–3 finish and notch a round of 64 berth in the 2026 Madrid Open women's singles at the Caja Mágica in Spain, April 22.
Amid a tight second set at 3–2, Eala threaded two straight games to extend her advantage at 5–2 as she fired clean backhand strikes and cross-court drops.
She then nailed the finishing blow after unloading a decisive service winner in the eighth game to cap off the straight-sets win in one hour and 31 minutes.
“I feel really great. I love Madrid. It’s an amazing tournament. Every time I come here, I feel really comfortable. I feel at home. I’ve been here in Spain for many years,” remarked Eala in a mix of English and Spanish.
Previously, the Pinay suffered an early exit in the first round of the Stuttgart Open, bowing down to Filipino-Canadian Leylah Fernandez in a 1–6, 4–6 sweep on April 13.
But now, she turned that prior setback into today’s dominant finish.
Eala found her groove right from the onset as she erased a 2–all tie thanks to her consecutive forehand winners to eventually secure a 4–2 cushion.
Pavlyuchenkova tried to close the gap, nabbing the sixth game to cut her trail to one, but the Filipina strung two successive games at 6–3 to take the opener.
The Pinay maintained her momentum in the second frame as she broke away from two break points to produce a 3–1 lead behind crisp baseline strikes.
However, the Russian whittled her deficit down by one game at 3–2 and later 4–3, only for the Filipina to snatch the remaining games to clinch the victory.
Eala eyes for a masterful performance against Elise Mertens in the round of 64.
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.
