By Kristel Satumbaga
Alex Eala recovered from a second-set stumble and beat Germany’s Mara Guth, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4, to advance to the third round of the French Open Juniors Championships Monday (early Tuesday in Manila).
By making it to the third round, the PH No. 1 junior player surpassed her second round showing two years ago.
Trailing 4-3 in the deciding frame after dropping her serve, the second-seeded Eala came through with some pinpoint shots to win the next three games and secure the victory after two hours and 12 minutes.
Match was interrupted after the second set due to rain, allowing Eala to recuperate and regroup.
The win set up Eala a third round date with unseeded Leyre Romero Gormaz of Spain, who downed Russia’s Diana Shnaider, 6-3, 7-5.
On paper, Eala has the edge with her current International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior ranking of No. 4 compared to Gormaz’s No. 53.
But the Spaniard, who is three years older than 15-year-old Eala, boasts of two titles in clay last year and has already been competing in the women’s circuit since 2016.
Meanwhile, Eala and partner Elina Kalieva of the United States open their doubles campaign Tuesday night against Italian pair Lisa Pigato and Eleonora Alvisi.
The match was supposed to take place Monday, but was moved a day later due to schedule delays caused by the weather condition.
Eala is seeking her second Grand Slam doubles title after winning the 2020 Australian Open girls doubles crown with Indonesian partner Priska Nugroho last January.
