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MANILA, Philippines — Heroes in Filipino action movies often get beat up early in the film before storming back and getting the upper hand against their opponents.
Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala pulled off the same move in the final of the 2025 Guadalajara Open.
Eala finally bagged a Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) title, ruling the 2025 Guadalajara Open after coming from behind against Hungary’s Panna Udvardy, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 in the Mexico tourney’s final early Sunday morning (Manila time).
Eala bucked a very slow start and fought off a furious rally in the second set to bag the championship in the third set.
The 20-year-old, ranked 75th in the world, opened sluggishly against the World No. 134 tennister, going down 0-3 in the first set before finally breaking through.
But Udvardy breezed through to the victory in the first canto as she blanked Eala the rest of the way.
The Rafa Nadal Academy graduate, though, bounced back in the second set, going up 4-1 and ultimately getting a 5-3 advantage.
But Udvardy grabbed back-to-back wins in the ninth and 10th games, outlasting the pride of Quezon City after long rallies.
Eala, however, forced the third set after clinching the 11th and 12 games.
With momentum firmly on her side, the Filipina jumped to a 2-0 lead and held the high ground the rest of the way.
While Udvardy was able to inch closer, 3-4, Eala won the crucial eighth game to get the 5-3 lead.
Eala seized title after she found a hole in the Hungarian’s court, and the former celebrated by throwing her hands up and waving to the crowd.
This championship continues a historic year for the Asian Games double bronze medalist.
Earlier this year, Eala became the first player from the Philippines to beat several top 100 tennisters, which flung her to the top 100 rankings.
She also became the first Filipina to win a match in the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament in the Open era.
Before Sunday’s final, Eala defeated Arianne Hartono, Varvara Lepchenko, Nicole Fossa Huergo and Kayla Day.
Eala is expected to play in the Sao Paulo Open set from September 8-14 in Brazil.
— Ralph Edwin Villanueva
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Credit belongs to: www.philstar.com
