Alex Eala surprises Jasmine Paolini at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships
Alexandra Eala showcased an impressive performance to defeat No. 6 Jasmine Paolini 6-1, 7-6 (7-5) at the WTA Tour Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Tuesday, adding yet another notable name to her expanding list of significant victories.
Paolini, the runner-up at both the French Open and Wimbledon in 2024, becomes the third top-10 player to fall to Eala, following Iga Swiatek and Madison Keys, both of whom the 20-year-old Filipina overcame during her breakthrough at the Miami Open last year.
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The match began with both players holding serve through the first three games until Eala broke in the fourth; she maintained her momentum, winning the remaining games of the set, including another break in the sixth. Her enhanced serve, a crucial asset, facilitated her aggressive baseline strategy and kept Paolini on the back foot.
The statistics reflected her superiority, as Eala won 86% of her first-serve points and finished with a 7-2 advantage in winners.
Paolini took the first game of the second set before Eala held serve and then broke again in the third game of what turned into a fluctuating contest.
The Italian, the 2024 champion in Dubai, rallied back and secured her first break of the match to level the second set at 3-3. Eala responded with a break of her own and held serve in the eighth game to establish a 5-3 lead.
Paolini held serve and then broke Eala while the Filipina was serving for the match, saving three match points in the process. The Italian seized the opportunity amid the rising pressure on Eala to take a 6-5 lead, but the Filipina remained composed in the 12th game, holding serve to push the match into a tiebreak.
The players exchanged mini-breaks to 4-4 before Eala tightened her first serve and controlled the longer rallies. The Filipina won the crucial exchanges in the final moments to secure the match and achieve the straight-sets victory.
Eala’s next opponent is world No. 32 Sorana Cirstea from Romania, in the Round of 16.
Source: espn.com
