Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 11) — Filipino tennis sensation Alex Eala recovered from a lopsided first set to tally a hard-earned win against Spain’s Cristina Bucsa in the second round of the International Tennis Federation W25 Grenoble Tournament in France.
The 15-year-old Filipino survived the 23-year-old Spanish in three sets, 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(8), as she progressed to the quarterfinals of the competition.
It was all Bucsa, the tournament’s seventh seed, in the first set as she took advantage of Eala’s slow start.
The momentum shifted in Eala’s favor in the second frame as her service points increased, which broke Bucsa’s rhythm.
The deciding third set was a close battle as Eala and Busca exchanged points, until the Filipino ace got the advantage with a 6-5 lead. In the 12th game, the Spanish kept her hopes alive as she capitalized on Eala’s errors.
In the end, Eala emerged victorious as she unleashed her serve in the pivotal 13th game of the third set.
Eala’s opponent in the quarterfinals will be the winner in the match between Poland’s Maja Chwalinska and hometown bet Gaelle Desperrier.
It is Eala’s fourth straight pro tournament after competing in three legs of the International Tennis Federation Women’s World Tennis Tour in Manacor, Spain, where she topped the first leg and finished in the quarterfinals in the other two legs.
