By ADRIAN STEWART CO

Negrense tennis player Alexandra Eala recorded another victory over Olympic silver medalist Donna Vekic on Wednesday, January 14, defeating the Croatian, 6-3, 6-4, in the Kooyong Classic in Melbourne, Australia.

It was the second straight win for Eala against Vekic, coming just days after the Filipina prevailed over the former World’s No. 19 in the opening round of the ASB Classic in New Zealand.

Eala broke away late in the opening set, finishing it with an ace to take a 6-3 lead.

In the second set, she recovered after falling behind early and went on a strong run to regain control.

After leveling the set at two-all, Eala built momentum with a series of points that gave her a 4-2 advantage.

She later held serve to move ahead 5-3 before closing out the match despite Vekic holding serve to stay alive.

The win capped a strong early run for Eala in 2026, as she has now won four of her first five singles matches heading into the season’s first Grand Slam tournament.

The 20-year-old Negros Occidental’s Victorias City native recently achieved a new career-high world ranking of No. 49.

The Kooyong Classic match, an exhibition tournament, served as part of Eala’s preparations for the 2026 Australian Open./ASC, WDJ