Tennis player Alex Eala secures first WTA 125 trophy following her return at the Guadalajara Open competition
In a thrilling three-set match, 17-year-old Filipino tennis sensation Alex Eala clinched her first-ever WTA Challenger crown at the Grandstand Caliente of the Pan American Tennis Center in Zapopan, Mexico.
The match against Hungary's Panna Udvardy lasted an additional 2 hours and 30 minutes, bringing the total match time to approximately 4 hours and 30 minutes.
Eala started the match on the back foot, overcoming a 1-6 deficit in the first set. However, she managed to regain her composure and pulled the set back to 6-6, eventually winning the tiebreaker.
In the second set, Eala raced to a 5-3 lead, but Udvardy pulled level at 5-5. The momentum swung once again as Eala regained the upper hand at 6-5, only for Udvardy to break her serve and level the set at 6-6. The set eventually went to a tiebreaker, where Eala saved four break points in the 12th game to secure the set.
The third set was a dominating performance by Eala, who won all four service games to secure the victory. Her backhand return sailed past Udvardy to win the match and secure the WTA 125 Guadalajara Open title.
Eala's victory comes two weeks after making history in the US Open as the first Filipino to win a Grand Slam main draw match in the Open era. This is also her second final appearance this year, after a heartbreaking three-set loss in the WTA 250 Eastbourne Open.
Currently ranked No. 75 in the world, Eala got back at Udvardy five months after losing to her in the WTA 125 Oeiras Open. In the earlier rounds of the Guadalajara Open, Eala beat Arianne Hartono, Nicole Fossa Huergo, Varvara Lepchenko, and Kayla Day.
Meanwhile, Elisabetta Cocciaretto, who won the WTA Challenger Guadalajara Open 2022, had previously won other significant tournaments, including 1 WTA title, 4 WTA Challenger titles, and 6 ITF titles.
With this win, the head-to-head record between Eala and Udvardy is now 1-1. The WTA 125 or WTA Challengers is the second-highest level in women's competition, below the top-tier WTA Tour.
Eala's victory marks a significant milestone in her young career and cements her place as one of the rising stars in women's tennis.
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