If Alex Eala wanted a confidence boost before another date with world No. 2 Elena Rybakina, she found it at the Steffi Graf Stadium during the Round of 32 of the Berlin Open.
The 21-year-old Filipina stunned reigning Queen’s Club champion Donna Vekic, 7-5, 6-4, on Wednesday, producing one of her most polished grass-court performances yet and booking a showdown with Rybakina.
Eala, now at No. 35, needs a strong run in the Vanda Pharmaceuticals-sponsored WTA 500 event as it could provide a timely rankings boost as she builds momentum toward Wimbledon and the season’s remaining Grand Slams.
The victory may not erase the memory of her early exit from the HSBC Championships at the Queen’s Club in London, but it certainly served as a reminder that Eala’s game can travel—and thrive—on grass.
Against Vekic, a proven performer on fast courts, Eala showed equal parts resilience and nerve. She fell behind 2-0 in the opening set after an early service break, a start that could have rattled a less mature player. Instead, Eala responded like someone who had already moved on to the next point.
She broke back immediately, then seized another break to swing momentum in her favor. When Vekic clawed back to reclaim a 5-4 lead, the Croatian appeared poised to steal the set. Eala had other ideas.
The Filipina reeled off three straight games, punctuating the set with a crucial break in the 11th game before calmly serving it out.
The second set was less dramatic but perhaps more impressive. Eala struck early, breaking Vekic in the opening game, and then protected that advantage with disciplined tennis. Serving for the match at 5-4, she stared down a daunting 0-40 deficit, erased all three break points, and slammed the door shut.
It was the kind of finish that spoke volumes about her growing confidence on grass—and a timely one at that—as Wimbledon looms on the horizon.
The reward, however, is hardly a relaxing afternoon. Awaiting Eala is Rybakina, who dispatched her in straight sets at the Italian Open just weeks ago.
Still, Berlin offers a different stage and a different surface. And after dismantling a grass-court specialist with authority, Eala heads into the rematch carrying the momentum that she lacked in Rome.
Against the world No. 2, she will need every bit of it.
