Alex Eala had the time of her life going up against veterans Venus Williams and Elina Svitolina during their ASB Classic doubles showdown.
Alex Eala couldn’t help but gush over being able to share the court with two veteran players in 7-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams and former world no. 3 Elina Svitolina on Monday.
Facing the duo in a doubles match at the ASB Classic with American partner Iva Jovic, Eala nabbed a huge win for her doubles career, with Williams being a former world no. 1 and a 14-time Grand Slam doubles champion across all four majors.
Even as Eala and Jovic took the win in two sets, 7-6(7), 6-1, Eala understood just how much impact their two opponents have had on tennis.
[RELATED: Alex Eala, Iva Jovic drub Elina Svitolina, Venus Williams in ASB Classic doubles]
Addressing the fans — which included scores of Filipinos — during her on court interview in Auckland, New Zealand, Eala reveled in the opportunity to play against such legends in the sport.
“Thank you so much for supporting me and Iva, I had such a good time on court,” Eala said, while also thanking her 18-year-old partner.
”I think we had a lot of fun and just to start the year with such a moment like this and sharing the court with two pioneers of the court, and pioneers off the court as well — people I looked up to since I was young so I’m so happy to be able to share this moment with you and all of you guys,” she added.
Eala and Jovic showed grit and determination against the more seasoned pair, saving multiple set points in Set 1 before ramping up their confidence in Set 2.
Eala’s big win over a pair like Williams and Svitolina will surely aid in her campaign in Auckland, especially with her singles campaign also slated to begin on Tuesday, January 6.
There, she may also be in a collision course against Wild Card entrant Williams if they both make it to the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, Svitolina is the top seed contender in women’s singles.
Earlier on Monday, Eala’s partner Jovic won her first round match against qualifier Gabriela Knutson, 4-6, 6-1, 6-0.
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.