By Jean Malanum
MANILA – Filipino Alexandra Eala booked her spot in the Round of 16 after pulling off a 6-3, 7-6 (2) victory over Polish Magda Linette at the Indian Wells Open in California, USA Sunday (PH time).
Eala trailed 5-4 in the second set but forced a tiebreak and raced to a 6-1 lead to oust Linette, who ousted No. 2 seed compatriot Iga Swiatek, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, in the second round.
“I think I just told myself to be brave, do whatever I could,” Eala said at the press conference after the match, as quoted in a Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) article.
“I can’t control how she was playing. She, I think, upped her game in the second, so, I tried to go for my shots, and they were effective luckily.”
Eala prevailed over German Laura Siegemund, 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-3, in the second round on Friday.
The world No. 29 Eala will face Czech Karolina Muchova, who prevailed over British Katie Boulter, 6-3, 7-5, in the Round of 16.
The 5-foot-11 Muchova won the Doha Open in Qatar last month, beating Canadian Victoria Vanessa Mboko, 6-4, 7-5.
Eala, a graduate of the Rafael Nadal Academy, made history at the 2025 Miami Open as the first Filipino to reach a WTA 1000 semifinal, but she lost to the world’s No. 4 American Jessica Pegula, 6-7 (3), 7-5, 3-6.
The Filipino also won the singles gold medal at the 2025 Southeast Asian Games in Thailand, ending a 26-year drought in the event last won by Maricris Fernandez in 1999. (PNA)
