Alex Eala secures her initial WTA 1000 victory of the season against Hailey Baptiste at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Alex Eala commenced her inaugural campaign at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships with a win after her first-round rival Hailey Baptiste retired while Eala was ahead 6-4, 0-1 — marking the Filipina’s first WTA 1000 victory of the season as she concludes her Middle East tour.
This match mirrored the 20-year-old’s exciting 6-7, 7-6, 6-1 triumph over the 39th-ranked American during last year’s Lexus Eastbourne Open qualifiers.
Eala demonstrated early dominance from the baseline, managing a closely contested opening phase where both competitors held serve for the first four games. The set quickly evolved into a contest of returns, featuring three consecutive breaks on each side that tested their serving strategies and responses to second serves.
The pivotal moment occurred at the third break, which Eala secured to lead 4-3. She then took advantage by holding serve in the eighth game to establish a 5-3 lead before confidently serving out the set, relying on depth and placement to control the rallies.
The second set commenced with another lengthy service game, with Baptiste managing to hold serve despite ongoing pressure. However, after just one additional game, the American indicated discomfort in her abdomen and was compelled to retire, granting Eala advancement to the Round of 32.
From a statistical perspective, Eala’s effectiveness proved crucial.
She achieved 70% of her service points and successfully landed 77% of her first serves, consistently placing herself in advantageous positions. In contrast, Baptiste faced difficulties in safeguarding her serve, committing three double faults that shifted momentum during the key moments of the opening set.
Next for the Filipina is a challenging encounter against 6th seed Jasmine Paolini, a matchup that will require sustained aggression and precise execution as Eala aims to build on her significant win in Dubai.
Source: espn.com
