FILIPINA teen tennis sensation Alex Eala survived a three-set thriller against a gritty Greek foe to move on to the quarterfinals of the 2021 US Open Juniors tournament.
Alex Eala in US Open juniors
Eala, second-seeded in the tourney, came from a set down to trounce 15th seed Michaela Laki of Greece, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, in the third round of the Girls’ Singles play on Thursday morning, Philippine time, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City.
The result is by far the farthest she has reached in the States-based tennis Grand Slam. In the 2019 season, she only finished at the second round.
Though Eala, 16, was able to secure a 2-0 advantage twice in the beginning of the first two sets, she struggled sustaining her momentum causing Laki, 16, to power through.
The Filipina lost the first set but was able to retaliate in the second tying the game at 5-5, before breaking away with backhand to secure set point, 7-5.
The match lasted for two hours and 23 minutes.
The World Juniors No. 2 and the World Juniors No. 21, kept it head to head until the final set seeing a tie at 4-4, before Eala got away at games nine and 10 due to Laki’s forced error.
She now awaits for her next opponent between Belgium’s Sofia Costoulas and Swiss Sebastiannna Scilipoti.
Eala will also play her Doubles match with partner with Hanne Vandewinkle of Belgium later today.
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