Alex Eala’s remarkable run at the Italian Open rolled on as she delivered yet another comeback masterpiece — this time toppling No. 31 seed Wang Xinyu, 6-4, 6-3, on the storied clay of Stadio Pietrangeli.
For Eala, the win carried extra weight. Wang had beaten her earlier this year in Auckland, and the Filipina made sure their rematch told a very different story.
Wang opened the match with authority, dictating with depth and pace to throw Eala off balance. The Chinese star quickly surged ahead 3-0, punishing short balls and stepping inside the baseline at every opportunity.
But Eala didn’t panic — she recalibrated.
Gradually increasing the heaviness of her shots, she began dragging Wang into longer, more physical rallies. A costly double fault from Wang cracked the door open, and Eala stepped through, earning her first break and trimming the deficit to 1-3. A flawless hold at love followed, and suddenly the momentum had shifted.
As pressure mounted, Wang’s serve began to wobble. Another double fault handed Eala break points, and the Filipina pounced, leveling the set at 3-3. From there, she seized full control, stringing together a fourth straight game and dazzling the Pietrangeli crowd with a drop‑shot–passing‑shot combo that showcased her growing confidence on clay.
Wang briefly steadied to tie things at 4-4, but Eala responded with one of the rallies of the match — a looping, high‑margin ball that set up a perfectly timed drop‑volley winner. Moments later, she closed out the set, 6-4, completing a turnaround that felt inevitable once she found her rhythm.
The second set carried the same intensity, with both players trading heavy blows from the baseline. At 3-3, Eala uncorked a series of fearless groundstrokes to earn a crucial break, then backed it up with a composed hold for 4-3.
With the finish line in sight, Eala pressed harder. She attacked Wang’s serve with purpose, earned another break for 5-3, and positioned herself to serve for one of the biggest wins of her season — and another statement that her rise on clay is no fluke.
