Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Alexandra Eala’s breakthrough week at the DC Open lasted one day longer than anyone expected. By the time it ended, the Filipino expression written across the Nike T-shirt she had worn earlier that week had become a reality.
“Once it grows, it cannot be stopped.”
After the women’s final stretched across two days because of heavy rain, Eala rallied past Jessica Pegula 4-6 6-4 6-0 Monday to capture the first WTA Tour singles title of her career.
“I feel so much love. My first chance at a title knowing it won’t be the last and already having achieved this milestone for my career,” Eala said on court. “I knew whatever happened after this match would have already been a win for me.”
The victory made the 21-year-old Eala the first Filipina to win a singles title on the tour, completing the same career-defining breakthrough that the Washington tournament once gave Pegula when she claimed her first WTA Tour title in 2019.
Eala arrived at Stadium Court as the story of the tournament, carrying the hopes of a tennis nation. Philippines flags dotted the stands throughout Sunday’s rain-interrupted session, and chants for Eala routinely outweighed those for Pegula.
It capped a week in which the rising star transformed the atmosphere around the tournament while reaching her first WTA Tour final in her debut at the hard-court tuneup for the US Open.
The two traded breaks midway through the opening set, with Pegula breaking again at 4-4 and serving out the set at love. The players held through the opening three games of the second set before heavy rain suspended play on Sunday afternoon, with Eala up 2-1.
When they returned on Monday (local time), the momentum belonged to Eala.
She stormed back to claim the second set, then swept through the third. She won each game of the final set of the match to complete the comeback. In the process, she defeated the tournament’s top three seeds.
“I want to congratulate Alex on an amazing tournament,” world No.3 Pegula said.
“To see how far you’ve come over the last couple of years when we first played, to see the amazing fans that follow you every place you go, it’s not fun to play against but I think it’s amazing.”
The victory extended Eala’s winning streak against top-10 opponents to five matches following victories over Elena Rybakina, Elina Svitolina, twice, and Iga Swiatek.
The breakthrough title will propel Eala to a career-high world No. 20 when the new WTA rankings are released.
Former champion Emma Raducanu will miss the US Open because of the stress fracture in her leg that also forced her to pull out of Wimbledon.
Raducanu, 23, is currently undergoing rehabilitation for the injury, with the US Open’s main draw due to kick off in four weeks.
