Going up against Japanese foe Himeno Sakatsume, Alex Eala needed to dig deep and eke out some crucial games in their Round of 16 match.
Alex Eala endured her first real test of the Philippine Women’s Open on Wednesday night, when she needed to survive a gritty opening stanza against Japan’s Himeno Sakatsume in their Round of 16 match at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.
Eala, now the highest-seeded player in the tournament after Tatjana Maria’s ouster, was playing catch up against her lower-ranked foe.
Owing to a superior service game, Sakatsume was able to dictate the pace early in the first set, holding her serves and even gaining a 4-3 advantage after another held serve in the seventh game of the set.
But Eala, ever-so calm in crucial situations, was able to save multiple break points during her serve game to avoid going down a 3-5 hole.
[READ: 'Motivated' Alex Eala aces first real test of Philippine Women's Open]
After the match, the 20-year-old said that going up against Sakatsume needed some getting used to, especially as she admitted she had “tough positions” in the opening set.
“I think that I was able to get my groove the longer I was on court. I thankfully ended the match, I think, playing better than I started. So those are some good takeaways,” Eala said during her post match press conference.
“But yeah, I just tried to take it point by point. There were so many difficult moments, especially in the first set. But happy with how I pulled through and managed those tough situations.”
Biding her time
From the outside looking in, a crucial moment in the match took place when she won the close eighth game, but also when she claimed a tightly fought opening set.
But for Eala, it wasn’t one big thing, but rather, a combination of little things she did better in the second set which led to a lopsided 6-0 closeout despite Sakatsume’s best efforts to keep her pace with the WTA No. 49.
Known to go through tough three-setters herself, Eala said that she hardly thought that taking the first set was that big of an advantage.
“I think the first set always helps, but you really never know with tennis. It's not a given that if you win the first, you'll win the second,” Eala said.
“I think there were certain things that I did better in the second. I think maybe some less errors, certain moments where I was able to capitalize on the lead. But I don't think there was anything specific about mental or physical that really changed,” she continued.
The Rafa Nadal Academy scholar will hope to continue performing well, through all sets, when she faces 5-seed Camila Osorio in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
Adding another layer of challenge is that it will be their first time to meet in their professional careers. Knowing how both of them play, the hometown favorite is looking forward to testing her mettle against a player of Osorio’s skills.
“I think the next match is definitely going to be difficult.” admitted Eala.
“I think she's a very experienced and very good player, very skilled player. And off the court, she's just such a sweet person. So, you know, I think it's going to be a battle like every match.”
Eala battles Osorio on Thursday evening, 7 p.m., as the main offering on Center Court. It will be aired on One Sports, One Sports+, and the Pilipinas Live app.
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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.