MANILA — Filipina tennis star Alex Eala displayed composure under pressure as she defeated Poland’s Magdalena Frech, 6-0, 3-6, 6-4, to move on to the next stage of the Italian Open on Wednesday (Manila time).
Eala looked unstoppable in the opening set, blanking Frech, 6-0, behind sharp shot-making and aggressive play.
Frech, however, bounced back strongly in the second set, quickly building a 3-0 advantage and eventually evening the match at one set apiece.
Both players engaged in a tense battle in the deciding frame before Eala managed to break away late in the contest. The Filipina held serve for a 5-4 edge before finishing off the Polish campaign with a clutch winner.
With the hard-earned victory, Eala advances to face Chinese player Wang Xinyu, who received a first-round bye in the tournament.
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