Sourced online by Tracy Cabrera
JULY 1 proved auspicious for Filipino tennis star Alexandra ‘Alex’ Eala as she cruised to her first-ever main draw triumph at Wimbledon with a 6-1, 6-2 trashing of her lower-ranked Mexican rival Renata Zarazua in the opening round early Wednesday (Manila time).
The victory cements her right as a seeded player in the championships and vindicates her early first round exit in her main draw debut of last year’s Wimbledon.
Competing as the tournament’s No. 29 seed, the country’s pride quickly established control, overcoming several extended rallies before reeling off five consecutive games to capture the opening set against Zarazua, currently ranked No. 75 in the world and a former doubles partner.
Eala was as usual cheered on by a strong Filipino contingent at the All England Club as she carried her momentum into the second set by breaking serve early to build a 2-0 advantage. Although Zarazua briefly responded by holding serve, the Filipina remained firmly in command.
The 21-year old made short work of the opposition by winning three straight games to move within one game of victory at 5-1. Zarazua delayed the inevitable with a hold, but Eala calmly served out the match to complete the convincing straight-set win.
Eala’s latest triumph sends her into the second round, where she will clash with the winner of the first-round match between seven-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams of the United States and Australian standout netter Maya Joint.
Aside from the singles category, Eala is also set to compete in the women’s doubles event alongside Czech partner Nikola Bartunkova. The pair will be facing the American-Latvian tandem of Sofia Lenin and Jeļena Ostapenko in the opening round.
metrosundaily
