ALEX Eala finally broke through with her first career win in a professional grand slam - thanks to a brave comeback.
The 20-year-old Filipina outlasted world No. 14 Clara Tauson of Denmark, 6-3, 2-6, 7(13)-6(11), to advance to the second round of the 2025 US Open women’s singles tournament in Queens, New York early Monday morning (Manila time).
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Tauson surged ahead 5-1 in the third set behind two of her 12 aces and a forehand winner but the Filipina dug deep at a time when she looked down and out, storming back to win four straight games to level at 5-all.
The world No. 75 finally put away the big-serving Dane on her fiifth match point in a battle that lasted two hours and 36 minutes, exploding in equal parts delight and relief after Tauson's forehand return sailed long.
The victory marked another milestone on a breakout year for Eala, currently ranked No. 75 in the world, after suffering first-round exits both at Roland Garros for the French Open and Wimbledon earlier this year.
She achieved the feat in a place that holds special significance for her career. Back in 2022, Eala etched her name in Philippine tennis history at Flushing Meadows when she captured the US Open girls’ singles crown.
The then-17-year-old defeated Lucie Havlickova of the Czech Republic, 6-2, 6-4, to become the first Filipino to win a junior grand slam singles title, an achievement that launched her rise on the international stage.
She now awaits the winner of a first-round match between Cristina Bucsa of Spain and home favorite Claire Liu in the round of 64.
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But none of these looked probable mid-match, as Eala inexplicably lost her touch after winning the first set in impressive fashion. She lost the second set 6-2 and looked a goner when the Dane stormed ahead, thanks to her 12 aces in total.
Eala, however, got her act together just in time to pull this one off, atoning for heartbreaking losses in two other grand slam appearances on a year marked by her sensational run to the Miami Open semifinals last March.
Prior to the US Open, Eala endured tough first-round exits at Wimbledon on July 3, wjere she fell to then-World No. 16 Barbora Krejcikova, 6-3, 2-6, 1-6, and at Roland Garros last May 25, where she bowed to Colombia’s Emiliana Arango, 0-6, 6-2, 3-6.
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