MANILA — Philippine tennis star Alex Eala notched her first-ever main draw victory at Wimbledon Championships after overpowering Mexico’s Renata Zarazua, 6-1, 6-2, in the opening round early Wednesday (Manila time).
The emphatic win marked a milestone for the 20-year-old Filipina, who exited in the first round during her Wimbledon main draw debut last year.
Competing as the tournament’s No. 29 seed, Eala quickly established control, overcoming several extended rallies before reeling off five consecutive games to capture the opening set against Zarazua, currently ranked No. 75 in the world and a former doubles partner.
Cheered on by a strong Filipino contingent at the All England Club, Eala carried her momentum into the second set by breaking serve early to build a 2-0 advantage. Although Zarazua briefly responded by holding serve, the Filipina remained firmly in command.
Eala then won three straight games to move within one game of victory at 5-1. Zarazua delayed the inevitable with a hold, but Eala calmly served out the match to complete the convincing straight-set triumph.
The victory sends Eala into the second round, where she will take on the winner of the first-round match between seven-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams and Australia’s Maya Joint.
Aside from her singles campaign, Eala is also set to compete in the women’s doubles event alongside Czech partner Nikola Bartunkova. The pair will face Jeļena Ostapenko and Sofia Kenin in the opening round.
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