DUBAI: Roared on by a rapturous Kabayan-majority crowd, Filipino sensation Alexandra Eala overpowered world No. 8 Jasmine Paolini 6-1, 7-6(5) at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Tuesday night.
Eala, 20, secured her first career win against a top-10 player and set up a last-16 clash with Romanian veteran Sorana Cirstea.
With John Lennon’s “Imagine” playing quietly in the nearby Irish Village pre-match, Eala’s supporters were happy to dream.
Eala is the highest-ranked Filipina in history at world No. 47. With considerable talent, mental strength, and a determination that saw her edge a tiebreak against a vastly more experienced opponent, the girl from Quezon City looks destined to see her dreams fulfilled.
With her right thigh heavily bandaged, Eala showed little early signs of discomfort. Paolini, who enjoyed strong support here during her 2024 title win, seemed to feel the sold-out crowd were not wishing her quite so well this time.
Eala appeared to sense it too, immediately giving her supporters plenty reason to cheer, breaking her opponent twice in quick succession to go 5-1 up before serving out the set to kick-start wild celebrations.
As good as Eala was, Paolini hit seven unforced errors in the opening set, and let her chin sink further into her chest as every error was greeted with cheers.
“I think today I came out on fire,” said Eala. “She’s a great opponent obviously being top 10. To be able to compete with her at this level is a great achievement for me.
“She is an incredible fighter, to be sure, but I was very focused and I was able to maintain that throughout the whole match. Every time the opportunity arose, I tried my best to be brave and go for my ball.”
In the second set, with Eala 5-3 up, a comfortable straight-sets win looked certain. However, the Filipina failed to convert three match points in the ninth game before failing to serve out the contest in the 10th.
Paolini rallied to take the match to 6-5 and even twice had the chance to force a third set but also failed to capitalize. In the resultant tiebreak, Eala upped her level once more to secure a monumental career win.
Cue raucous celebrations both inside the 5,000-capacity stadium and outside in the tennis village, where Filipinos had congregated to watch on beanbags surrounded by the nation’s flags and signs reading “Laban Alex!” (“Fight Alex!”) and “Let’s go Alex!”
“I looked up and there were Filipinos for days,” Eala said, smiling. “It’s really such a blessing to be able to play in these sorts of atmospheres.
“I am really privileged and thankful that I’m able to introduce this new sporting world, women’s tennis, to a new demographic. I think they’re really enjoying it and I hope it will inspire young girls and women of all ages to take up sports.”
Eala will return to center court on Wednesday when she faces Cirstea, who earlier in the day beat Linda Noskova 6-1, 6-4.
“She’s a very experienced player and physically very fit,” said Eala of the Romanian. “I’m excited. Everybody at this stage really wants to continue and I’m not an exception to that.”
Earlier in the evening, another popular figure in Dubai enjoyed strong support. Elena Rybakina, resident in the emirate and taking to the main stage for the first time since winning last month’s Australian Open, looked at ease beating Australian qualifier Kimberly Birrell.
Racing to a 5-0 lead in 20 minutes, the Kazakh, 26, dropped just one point across the first three games and looked imperious as she closed out the opening set 6-1.
Birrell was unable to deal with Rybakina’s powerful serve, and a delicateness at the net that left her opponent stretching and shuttling, but ultimately always coming up short.
“To return well is an important part of the game,” said Rybakina.
“Sometimes I have days when it is really working well for me and some days it is more difficult, it also depends a lot on the opponent. Where I have the best control is my serve because no one is playing to you, it’s your pace.”
The No. 1 seed this week, Rybakina went on another five-game winning run in the second set to open a 5-1 lead. Birrell, more than 90 places below her in the WTA World Rankings, held serve in the seventh, but two-time Grand Slam winner Rybakina served for the match to win 6-1, 6-2.
“I’m happy I stayed solid and won this in straight sets,” the 2022 Wimbledon champion said. “I spend so much time in Dubai that it feels like home.
“A lot of people who work here (at this tournament) always say, ‘Welcome back’ and ‘Welcome home’ so it always feels nice. It’s a really nice atmosphere on the court, and I always get a lot of support, so it’s great to play here. I would love to have a little bit longer here with maybe a day between.”
Rybakina’s next opponent will be lucky loser Antonia Ruzic, who has completed three back-to-back three-set battles to reach the last 16, including Monday’s epic win over British No. 1 Emma Raducanu.
“I don’t know much about her,” said Rybakina of Ruzic. “I have never played against her, so I will need to talk to my team and do the usual routine.”
Two-time Dubai winner Elina Svitolina also progressed to the last 16 and will now face Belinda Bencic, also on Wednesday. Ukrainian Svitolina, champion here in 2017 and 2018, moved through after Dubai-based Paula Badosa retired at the start of the second set having lost the first 4-6.
