Down 1-3 in the deciding set, Alex Eala once again showed her trademark resilience on clay -- grinding out a 6-0, 3-6, 6-4 victory over Magdalena Fręch in the first round of the Italian Open on Wednesday.
Eala came out sharp and composed, dictating rallies from the baseline in a dominant opening set.
She broke early and often, overwhelming Fręch with depth and control to deliver a bagel. The efficiency on serve set the tone -- winning 67% of first-serve points while staying flawless behind her second serve, a clean platform that allowed her to play aggressively in return games.
However, momentum shifted in the second set as Fręch adjusted, stepping in on returns and applying pressure on Eala's service games.
A quick break in the first set gave the Polish veteran a 3-0 cushion. While Eala briefly threatened with a mid-set push with a fifth game break to make it 2-3, Fręch's timely counter-break in the sixth game restored her edge.
From there, she maintained her level, closing out the set with steadier shot-making and improved court positioning.
The decider followed a similar script early, with Fręch striking first to build a 3-1 lead. But on clay, where patience and composure often decide matches, Eala dug in.
Eala extended rallies, forced errors, and flipped the momentum with a crucial break in the sixth game. That sparked a three-game surge to seize control at 4-3, before she delivered the knockout blow with another break in the tenth game to seal the comeback.
Eala advances to the round of 64, where she will face 31st seed Wang Xinyu -- setting up an intriguing all-Asian clash in Rome.
