IT took every ounce of grit and fight in Guadalajara for Alex Eala to deliver her — and the Philippines’ — first WTA 125 title.
Much like her entire journey through Mexico, she clawed back from a set down to defeat former tormentor Panna Udvardy of Hungary, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, and finally lay her hands on a maiden WTA 125 title early Sunday morning, Manila time.
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Entering the tournament as the second seed, Eala, the world No. 75, battled through four extended sets from the round of 32 all the way to the championship. She was also the last seeded player standing by the quarterfinals.
It was a four-year wait that was well worth it, making another important piece of history for Philippine tennis for the 20-year old trailblazer.
Eala first joined a WTA tournament in 2021 as a wild card at the Romanian Open, followed by a 2022 main-draw entry in the Miami Open, also as a wild card.
Prior to this, her best shot had been at Eastbourne in July, where she lost to Maya Joint in the final.
Gritty Alex won't be denied this time
In a match that lasted two hours and 30 minutes, Eala surged ahead in the decider, claiming the first game after six deuces and quickly extending her lead to 2-0.
Udvardy called for a medical timeout due to a groin issue, but the Filipina maintained her momentum, racing to a 6-3 finish to seal the championship.
The second set had been a tense battle, with Eala clawing back from a set down to edge Udvardy 7-5, turning the momentum in her favor after a 1-6 opening set loss.
The win evened their head-to-head record at 1-1, as Eala avenged her loss to Udvardy in April 2025 in Portugal.
En route to the championship, she defeated American Kayla Day, 6-2, 6-3; Italian Nicole Fossa Huergo, 7-6(2), 6-2; Varvara Lepchenko of the USA, 6(3)-7, 7-6(3), 6-2; and Dutch player Arianne Hartono, 6-2, 6-2, in the earlier rounds.
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