Alex Eala had to call for a medical timeout before the third-set decider, but pulled through against Paris 2024 silver medalist Donna Vekic in their Round of 32 matchup at the ASB Classic.
Alex Eala survived a tough challenge from world no. 69 Donna Vekic, advancing in the singles tournament of the ASB Classic, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, on Tuesday in Auckland, New Zealand.
Eala, ranked 53rd in the WTA rankings, dug deep and pushed through the pain after needing a medical timeout before the deciding third set, getting a positive note on her first singles match of the 2026 season.
The 20-year-old leaned on her youth as she survived a marathon second set which lasted an hour, including holding her serve after four deuces to keep herself ahead of Vekic, 4-3.
This proved pivotal as she also broke the Croatian’s serve in the next game to gain some form of leeway, 5-3.
While Vekic saved two set points and broke right back in Game 9, Eala recovered from a 30-15 disadvantage in Game 10 to convert on breakpoint and force the decider, 6-4.
It was a nip-and-tuck affair also in the third, but fatigue looked to affect 29-year-old Vekic as she was forced into some uncharacteristic errors.
This included errors on her service game in Game 8 where Eala was able to convert on her second break point to gain the 5-3 advantage.
Serving for the match, Eala was unable to close out Vekic as the Paris 2024 silver medalist got within a game, 4-5. But another crucial break on Vekic's serve shut the door allowing Eala to move on.
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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.