Eala feasts on Kimchi

MANILA, Philippines — Filipina prodigy Alexandra Eala got her maiden Australian Open campaign off to a fine start as she outclassed Israel’s Shavit Kimchi, 6-0, 4-6, 6-2, to march into the second round of the juniors girls’ singles hostilities yesterday at Melbourne Park.

The fourth-seeded Eala, who gained entry to the season-opening grand slam meet via wild card, overcame an erratic second set and unleashed a strong finishing kick in the decider to smash her way to the Round of 32 against Julie Belgraver of France.

Belgraver advanced after fighting back from a one-set deficit to upstage Australian Mia Repac, 1-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Eala, 14, pounced on a number of unforced errors from first-round rival Kimchi to romp off with a shutout victory in the opening set played in Court 12.

The Philippine pride took a 2-1 lead in the second but then fell into a spate of errors, allowing Kimchi to take the next three games and seize a 4-2 cushion and later get to 5-3. Eala closed in at 5-4 but Kimchi held serve in the next game to win the set and make it 1-1.

World No. 9 Eala, however, couldn’t be denied.

From a 2-2 standoff in the third frame, Eala landed winners after winners to rack up three straight games and get on the hill at 5-2. The Pinay ace then outsteadied Kimchi in a marathon eighth game highlighted by four deuces, getting the clinching two points off back-to-back unforced errors by the Israeli.

A scholar at Rafa Nadal Academy, Eala is looking to surpass her career-best showing in the grand slams with a followup victory against Belgraver. Eala previously competed  in the 2019 US Open juniors and reached as far as the second round.