Alex Eala advances closer to Wimbledon main draw after thrilling victory

Photo by Peter Tvermoes from alex.eala/Instagram

The momentum continued as Filipino tennis sensation Alex Eala forged through her journey in the Wimbledon qualifiers with a recent victory over Tamara Zidansek of Slovenia.

Despite a shaky start, the Rafa Nadal Academy student displayed grit and resilience to prevail 1-6, 7-6 (11-9), 6-3 in a seemingly marathon match lasting 2 hours and 33 minutes.

The qualifiers began with the 19-year-old struggling to find her rhythm, conceding the first set 1-6 to Zidansek, a former French Open semi finalist and world No. 22. Undeterred, Eala fought back tenaciously, saving an impressive eight match points in a fiercely contested second set tiebreaker before clinching it 7-6 (11-9).

In the decisive third set, Eala capitalized on her own growing confidence and resilience, displaying a combination of powerful strokes and tactical finesse to secure a 6-3 victory and a place in the final qualifying round.

With just one win separating her from a historic debut in the Grand Slam main draw, Eala now faces world No. 123 and 23rd seed Lulu Sun of New Zealand in her next challenge. This upcoming match will further test Eala’s skills and determination once again as she strives to achieve a major milestone in her career.

Earlier this year, Eala narrowly missed similar opportunities, underscoring her resilience and growing prowess on the court. Before her clash with Zidansek, she set the stage with a hard-fought victory over France’s Jessika Ponchet, triumphing 7-6, 6-4.

In May, Eala achieved a career-high world ranking of 157th, a testament to her consistent progress and performance. Her recent achievements, including a quarterfinal appearance at the WTA 125 Veneto Open where she defeated Italy’s Giorgia Pedone in straight sets, further highlight her promising potential and development as a player.

Notably, she also claimed a doubles title earlier this year at the ITF W50 Pune in India, alongside singles rival turned doubles partner Darja Semenistaja of Latvia.