Feeling at home, Alex Eala aces opening test in Madrid Open

MANILA, Philippines – Alex Eala advanced past the first round of the Madrid Open for the third straight year.

The Filipina tennis star aced her first test in the WTA 1000 tournament in Spain after a 6-3, 6-3 win over Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on Wednesday, April 22. 

“I feel really great. I love Madrid. It’s an amazing tournament. Every time I come here, I feel really comfortable. I feel at home. I’ve been here in Spain for many years,” said Eala in a mix of English and Spanish. 

“Every game at this level is a battle. I’m really happy about that.” 

While Eala sits at No. 44 in the world, and the 34-year-old Pavlyuchenkova is far behind at No. 116, the Russian still proved to be a handful given her proficiency on clay.

At the peak of her powers, Pavlyuchenkova reached a career-high No. 11 ranking in 2021, the same year she finished runner-up in the French Open, the crown jewel of clay tournaments.

But Eala held her own as she broke Pavlyuchenkova four times in the match that took one hour and 31 minutes to end. 

“At this level, every match is a battle. All of us players, we fight till the end, and she’s been on the tour many years, so I’m really happy with this win,” said Eala. 

“I think she’s a great player, so I’m really happy to be in the next round.”

Eala faces a tall order as she battles world No. 21 Elise Mertens of Belgium in the round of 64 on Thursday, April 23.

A win will mark a breakthrough for Eala, who is seeking to make the third round in Madrid for the first time in five tries. – Rappler.com