Alexandra Eala delivered a massive upset at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Tuesday, February 17. After receiving a walkover in her first round match against American qualifier Hailey Baptiste, the Filipino defeated Jasmine Paolini in straight sets. With this win, the 20-year-old is now in the Round of 16 in her debut at the WTA 1000 tournament.
During her on-court interview, Eala said the massive Filipino crowd and their prayers helped her win the match.
Alexandra Eala Talks About Filipino Support That Helped Her Stun Jasmine Paolini in Dubai
Eala defeated the World No. 8 Paolini 6-1, 7-6(5) in just 100 minutes to reach the third round in Dubai, marking an impressive start to her Dubai WTA 1000 debut. From the start, Eala dominated with her precise serving and did not allow the Italian to gain any momentum. However, Paolini made an impressive comeback, saving three match points in the tenth game to force a tiebreak, only to be bested by the Filipino again.
After the match, the interviewer asked Eala about the match points she had in the second set and the tiebreak, and what was going through her mind as she sealed the win. Reflecting on her thoughts, the Filipino said, “In the tie break, I was trying everything to keep myself in check, and in the change event, I was thinking this stadium is full of Filipinos. I thought how many of them are probably praying for me to win? So, I really had to give everything I got.”
The interviewer then asked what guidance she received during the match that helped her get the win, but Eala was so overwhelmed by the support, she laughed and said, “I forgot. It’s kind of hard to hear them here. But I think they were just trying to keep me calm and remind me that I was doing well, and I was at a good level, so nothing had to change drastically.”
She listened to her team and maintained her dominance over the Italian, preventing her from taking the match away at any point. When asked about her recovery process, she had a one-word answer: “Sleep!”
Adding to this, she said, “I think it’s everyone’s bedtime; people probably have work, so thank you so much for coming and supporting. It’s so nice to see the atmosphere so lively here. It’s my first time playing this tournament, so I really appreciate the love everyone. Thank you.”
The Filipino crowd has always been very generous to the 20-year-old, who is the country’s top-ranked and most prominent tennis player. During her Australian Open first-round match, Eala had hundreds of her countrymen come to support her.
Eala’s Dominance Against Paolini in Dubai
Since the very first game, Eala had been dominant against the Italian, not letting her settle down on the court. She landed 2 aces in the first set without committing a single double fault, while Paolini hit 1 without any aces. The Filipino also landed 63% of her first serves, winning 73% of those points while winning 55% of her second serve points. She did not face a single break point in the first set while converting two of the three opportunities herself to reel off to secure 5 consecutive points, taking a formidable 5-1 lead.
In the second set, Eala again took a 3-1 lead by breaking Paolini once; however, she stepped up her game and broke her opponent once. During the tenth game of the set, the 20-year-old had three match points, but Paolini saved all three of them and saved herself from getting broken. This forced the match into a tiebreaker, which Eala won comfortably. The second set alone lasted more than one hour and 15 minutes, showcasing that neither player was ready to step down even a bit.
Eala will now face the Romanian player Sorana Cîrstea on February 18 to determine one of the eight quarterfinalists of the tournament.
