MANILA, Philippines – Alex Eala showed steely nerves to claim a historic win in a Grand Slam main draw.
Eala snatched victory from the jaws of defeat as she stunned world No. 15 Clara Tauson of Denmark in the opening round of the US Open in New York, pulling off a gripping 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (11) triumph at the Grandstand in New York on Sunday, August 24 (Monday, August 25, Manila time).
On the brink of another first-round exit after being buried in 1-5 hole in the deciding set, Eala clinched five straight games to get herself back into the match, then won the nail-baiting tiebreak to become the first Filipino to win a Grand Slam main draw match in the Open era.
“Oh my god. It was so, so difficult. She’s a huge player, she’s a great player, and definitely not an easy draw for a first round. But I’m so happy that I was able to dig deep,” Eala said.
“I was just thinking to push the limit, like physically, mentally, this was it.” – Rappler.com