ALEX Eala began her clay court season on a damp note against Dutchwoman Anouk Koevermans yesterday (Monday morning in Europe), winning the first set 6-3 but trailing 2-4 in the second in a rain-delayed opening round match at the Oeiras Ladies Open at the Jamor Tennis Club in Oeiras, Portugal.
The match was suspended after an hour and 11 minutes due to a heavy mid-morning downpour that halted Eala’s clay court debut this year as a top seed with a lofty rating of No. 73 in the Women’s Tennis Association ratings against a foe ranked 109 rungs lower at No. 182.
After trading service breaks in the first six games, Eala finally saw light, holding her serve in the seventh at 40-15 capped by a service winner to go up 4-3.
That was the momentum she needed in taking the next two games, breaking Koevermans in the eighth, before battling through two deuces in the ninth to hold her own in taking the first set in 41 minutes on center court.
The second set and the match was suspended for about 45 minutes for the first time due to a heavy mid-morning downpour before the chief umpire ultimately decided to call off the match.
The match was first halted when Eala trailed at 2-3 then again just after Koevermans broke the former in the sixth game for a 4-2 edge, although the Pinay threatened to break back at 0-30 in the seventh.
Once the rain stopped, court attendants worked speedily to bring the surface back into competitive shape, putting red clay on the wet spots while others levelled it using a mop-looking tool called a “scarifier.”
Just when the game was set to resume after both players returned to the court to take their practice shots, it rained heavily once again, forcing court officials to halt the match.
