WHILE slipping in the Women’s Tennis Association world rankings after early exits in previous tourneys, Alex Eala resumed her winning ways early yesterday morning with first-time Mexican partner Renata Zarazua for her first victory in the French Open main draw at the Roland Garros clay courts in Paris, France.
Eala and Zarazua made their women’s doubles debut with a tense 7-5, 6-4 victory over Briton Emily Appleton and Spanish Yvonne Cavalle-Reimers in a match that lasted for nearly two hours.
The victory was a timely pick-me-up for Eala, who turned 20 last May 23, after slipping four rungs in the WTA women’s world rankings to 73 following short-lived outings in her last competitions, the latest being a 0-6, 6-2, 3-6 loss to Colombian Emiliana Arango in the first round of the French Open women’s singles event over the weekend.
Eala and Zarazua, 27, will next meet the duo of Serbian Olga Danilovic and Russian Anastasia Potapova, who came from behind to subdue the American pair of Caroline Dolehide and Desirae Krawczyk 1-6, 6-4, 7-5.
The Filipina netter and her Mexican partner seemed poised to lose the first set as they trailed 2-4 after being broken in the fifth game, but found their groove together, winning the next three games to go up 5-4.
Their foes managed to level at 5-all until Eala and Zarazua raised their game to another level, holding serve in the 11th game then breaking the Appleton-Cavalle-Reimers tandem in the 12th set after battling through one deuce.
Eala and Zarazua also had a bumpy ride in the second set and were deadlocked at 4-all with their foes as they traded a pair of service breaks each.
They settled down and held serve at 40-15 in the ninth, then finally broke their opponents in the next at 40-30 to wrap up the set and the match.
