Eala, partner rule W75 Croissy-Beaubourg doubles tilt

Eala and her partner, France’s Estelle Cascino, ruled the doubles championship of the W75 Croissy-Beaubourg tournament after toppling the top-seeded pair of Maia Lumsden and Jessika Ponchet, 7-5, 7-6(4) in France Saturday night (Manila time).

It was a grueling affair for the Filipina, the No. 305 doubles player in the world, and her 146th-ranked partner as they had to battle it out against their mighty opponents in a match that took an hour and 31 minutes to finish.

Eala and Cascino blew a 3-1 cushion in the first set, as their superior opponents took a 5-4 lead with a strong showing.

The unranked pair then tied it up at the 10th game, 5-5.

This newfound momentum was able to boost them into taking the first set, 7-5.

In the second set, the Filipino-French pair had an early 2-0 advantage, but, like in the first set, they blew it again.

Lumsden and Ponchet were able to grab a 5-4 second set lead thanks to a huge ninth game that saw the top-seeded duo score a hold to love.

Eala and Cascino then did the same to tie the set up at 5-all.

After the two pairs traded the 11th and 12th games, the second set went into a tiebreak.

It was a nip-and-tuck affair that the champions eventually took control of.

This is the second doubles championship for the teenage wunderkind, after her first professional in the W50 Pune in India back in January.

Eala earlier bowed out of the singles’ tournament after suffering a 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 loss against Mona Barthel of Germany. — Ralph Edwin Villanueva