ALEXANDRA “ALEX” EALA just introduced herself in Brazil with a bang.
The in-form Filipina pride scored an emphatic 6-0, 6-2 debut win against Yasmine Mansouri of France to bully her way into the second round of the 2025 WTA250 Sao Paulo Open on Wednesday morning.
Ms. Eala, seeded No. 3, blanked the unseeded and WTA No. 380 French bet in the first set then banked on a 3-0 blitz in the second set to ease into the first-round win in only 70 minutes.
An uncontested duel it was for the 20-year-old Pinay, surrendering just two games in an impressive Brazilian debut following her reign in the WTA125-level tourney in Guadalajara, Mexico last week.
Ms. Eala, who will play Julia Riera of Argentina next in the Round of 16 tentatively at 2 a.m. on Thursday (Manila time), forced the 24-year-old Ms. Mansouri to seven errors while converting 68% of her services and breaking majority of the latter’s serves in well-balanced onslaught.
Ms. Riera, WTA No. 188, beat No. 429 Vitalia Diatchenko of Russia in their own Round of 32 pairing, 6-3, 7-6(1).
“I did not expect so many people to come out and watch me play. I’m now just happy to be here and to be able to play well,” said Ms. Eala, translating her heavy favorite tag on paper as the No. 61 player in the world against Ms. Mansouri in the Top 400.
It’s the sixth straight win for Ms. Eala after wiping out the entire Guadalajara Open with wins against No. 187 Arianne Hartono of the Netherlands, 6-2, 6-2, No. 122 Varvara Lepchenko of the United States, 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-3), 6-3, No. 380 Nicole Fossa Huergo of Italy, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2, No. 418 Kayla Day of the USA anew, 6-2, 6-3, then No. 134 Panna Udvardy of Hungary, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3.
That paved the way for Ms. Eala to win her and the country’s first WTA crown in history, catapulting her in the process near the Top 60 of the world rankings from No. 75.
Thanks to a 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13-11) upset over No. 15 Clara Tauson of Denmark in the US Open first round, Ms. Eala’s feat as the first Filipina winner in the Grand Slam main draw also helped her scale the WTA list.
In Sao Paulo, she’s hoping to win her second title and enter the Top 50 for the first time after reaching a career-high of No. 56 in the aftermath of her then first-ever WTA finals appearance in the Eastbourne Open last June that she surpassed with a career breakthrough title in Guadalajara. — John Bryan Ulanday
