Alexandra Eala is through to the round of 16 at the Berlin Open after beating Donna Vekic 7-5, 6-4 on Wednesday Manila time at Steffi Graf Stadion in Germany. The 21-year-old fought back from 0-40 down late in the match to close out her debut in the event.
The win sends Eala into a Thursday meeting with World No. 2 Elena Rybakina, who beat her 6-4, 6-3 in the Italian Open third round last month. That makes the next match more than a simple reward for a straight-sets victory: it is a quick test against a player who has already solved her once this year.
Eala’s result also came with the kind of numbers that explain why she kept control after a shaky start. She struck eight aces, hit 25 winners and made 13 unforced errors. Vekic led 2-0 in the first set before Eala won four straight games, and although Vekic moved ahead 5-4, Eala broke in the 11th game and finished the set before taking the second.
The victory was Eala’s second against Vekic in five months. She had already beaten the Croatian in three sets in their ASB Classic first-round duel, and after this one she said she reminded herself that Vekic was fighting back, but that she was a fighter too and had to make things difficult. She also called Vekic an incredible player and said every time they meet it is very difficult.
That is what makes Thursday’s match the real measure of where Eala stands. A wildcard entry into the WTA 500 tournament has already taken her beyond the first hurdle, but Rybakina now sits in front of her again, and the result in Berlin will tell whether this run is a breakthrough or just the opening act.
