Filipino tennis star Alexandra Eala continued her impressive rise on the WTA Tour, defeating recent Queen’s Club champion Donna Vekic of Croatia, 7-5, 6-4, in the opening round of the Berlin Tennis Open on Wednesday.
The 21-year-old Eala showcased composure under pressure, saving 12 of 14 break points and delivering one of her strongest serving performances of the season to secure the straight-set victory.
The match featured several momentum swings, particularly in the opening set. Vekic struck first and threatened to build an early lead, but Eala quickly responded and stayed within striking distance. The Filipina raised her level late in the set, breaking serve at 5-5 before closing it out.
Eala carried that momentum into the second set, winning five consecutive games spanning the two sets and taking a 2-0 lead. She maintained control despite a brief interruption caused by a medical incident in the crowd.
Vekic mounted one final challenge while trailing 5-4, earning four opportunities to level the set. But Eala answered with fearless tennis, saving all four break points before sealing the victory with three consecutive unreturned serves.
Her serve proved to be a major weapon throughout the match as she fired eight aces against the world No. 35.
“I told myself that she's fighting back, but I'm also a fighter,” Eala said in her on-court interview. “So I have to try — I have to try and give her a hard time. You know Donna is an incredible player, and she's been showcasing it a lot lately. Every time I play her, it's been very difficult. I had a lot of expectations for this match in terms of the level I had to bring.”
The victory improved Eala's head-to-head record against Vekic to 2-0. She also defeated the Croatian veteran in the opening round of the Auckland tournament earlier this year.
Eala will next face second-seeded Elena Rybakina in the second round. The matchup will be a rematch of their meeting at the Italian Open in Rome, where Rybakina won in straight sets.
