CONSIDER the rivalry officially even.
With her breakthrough win over world No. 4 Coco Gauff at the BNP Paribas Open on Monday [Manila time], Filipina ace Alex Eala squared their head-to-head at 1-1 and completed a job that once seemed formidable.
The 20-year-old made sure the lessons from a quarterfinals loss to the American at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships just two weeks ago stuck.
READ Alex Eala bares friends she has made in her young WTA career
“I took those learnings from the last match,” Eala said in the post-match press conference after the 6-2, 2-0, ret. win in Stadium 1 at Indian Wells. “I tried to do things differently, better on certain things I can control.”
Before Gauff retired due to injury, Eala was already pleased with the level she brought to the court. Her focus, she said, was on staying locked into the next point rather than getting engulfed by the magnitude of the moment.
“What I try to do is focus on the next thing that I have to do,” she said. “I try not to think of the bigger picture.”
Against one of the tour’s biggest stars, that mentality paid off. Eala pointed to her focus, aggressive strategy, and intensity as key factors that helped her stay sharp under pressure.
“I know Coco is a great player," she said. "She’s really going to give you a hard time.”
Eala said getting continiously exposed to high-pressure environments helped her deal with the Gauff grudge match.
“There’s no technique that I use specifically,” she said. “I think I’ve gained experience over the years of how to handle these high-pressure situations. Of course, it’s taken up a notch when you’re playing big players and on big courts, so it’s a learning experience for me.”
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
