Photo from Alex Eala’s Facebook
MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala survived French Jessika Ponchet in three sets, 6-2, 5-7, 7-6(6), on Wednesday to advance to the second round of the W80 Poitiers in France.
The 17-year-old Filipino finally took down Ponchet after getting swept in their last two duels in Spain in the second round of the W25 Palma del Rio and the W60 Vitoria-Gasteiz semifinal.
Eala, who is currently at her best Women’s Tennis Association’s ranking No. 248, displayed grace under pressure in the home country of the world No.167 Ponchet as she fought back from a 3-5 deficit in the decider and took a 6-5 lead before the hometown bet forced a deuce.
But the French netter’s backhand errors allowed the first Filipino Grand Slam singles champion to win the match in two hours and 30 minutes and advance to the round of 16.
The Rafael Nadal Academy scholar will take a one-day break while waiting for her next foe either the eighth-seeded Vitalia Diatchenko of Russia or Marine Partaud of France.
The reigning US Open girls singles champion dominated the qualifiers to reach the main draw of her second $80,000 tournament, where she eyes her third professional crown.
Eala and her Croatian partner Petra Marcinko also advanced to the doubles quarterfinal after beating Yuliya Hatouka and Iryna Shimanovich, 6-2, 6-3.
Eala and Marcinko battle the tournament’s No. 3 seed Miriam Kolodziejova and Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic on Thursday at 1 a.m. (Manila time).