By ADRIAN STEWART CO

Negrense Alex Eala opened her Italian Open campaign with a hard-earned 6-0, 3-6, 6-4 victory over Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the Round of 128 in Rome, Italy on Wednesday night, May 6 (Philippine time).

The Filipina tennis standout dominated the opening set before surviving a tough challenge from Frech in the final two sets to secure the three-set win at Pietrangeli.

Eala finished with 82 total points compared to Frech’s 75 while winning 15 games overall against her opponent’s 10.

Despite not recording an ace and committing four double faults, Eala delivered solid numbers on both first and second serves.

She landed 68 percent of her first serves and won 56 percent of those points.

She was even more effective on second serve, taking 68 percent of those exchanges.

The 20-year-old Eala also converted six of her 12 break-point opportunities, double the three breaks converted by Frech in nine chances.

Eala controlled key stretches of the match, winning a maximum of six straight games and six consecutive points during one run.

She also claimed 36 receiving points and 46 service points in the contest.

Frech, meanwhile, fired three aces and committed only one double fault but struggled to match Eala’s consistency in crucial moments.

The Polish player posted a 61-percent first serve rate and won 51 percent of her first-serve points.

Eala, likewise, won nine service games compared to seven by Frech to complete the victory and move into the next round against China’s Wang Xinyu on Friday night, May 8./ASC, WDJ