Alex Eala’s impressive adaptation to grass courts was highlighted once again as she lifted her first title on the surface at the Birmingham Open.
The Filipina star made her mark on grass courts last year when she came within a point of winning the Eastbourne Open title, with the tears that flowed after that near miss against Maya Joint confirming her despair.
Now she has gone on step further by finally getting her hands on silverware in the W125 event in Birmingham, after a thrilling final against Czechia’s Nikola Bartunkova ended with a 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 win for Eala.
“I think details made the difference in the end,” said Eala, in quotes appearing on the LTA Media News Service. “In matches like this it often comes down to small details.
“I was lucky enough to have put enough intensity in and won the important moments. It made a difference when I was able to find my footing and become more aggressive.
More Tennis News
WTA Queen’s Club draw: Elena Rybakina top seed, Emma Raducanu and Alex Eala face qualifiers
What goes into running a tennis tournament? Lexus Birmingham Open director explains
“There were so many difficult moments in this match and it was one of those that anyone could win, so I’m really happy with how I performed in the important points.
“I think details made the difference in the end. I was lucky enough to have put in enough intensity in and won the important moments. It made a difference when I was able to find my footing and become more aggressive.
“There is always a lot of motivation in a final and my athleticism is something I’ve been working on. It’s a constant effort to be more fit, especially as the levels I am playing at are going higher. I see it more as a necessity day by day.”
Eala also played down injury concerns after she played the match with tape on her legs, as she added: “This is more a precautionary thing. It’s a big physical effort to go deep into a tournament, so I’m just trying to keep my body in shape.”
Want more from Tennis365? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for tennis coverage you can trust.
This was not a full WTA Tour event, but Eala’s win has given her a healthy rankings boost as she is now up to No 33 in the live rankings.
If she can make progress in next week’s presigeous WTA 500 tournament at the Queen’s Club, Eala should be on course to secure a seeing for Wimbledon at the end of this month.
The prize money pot for the Birmingham Open was $225,000, with Eala taking home $33,650, with Bartunkova collecting $19,700 for her run at the Edgbaston Priory Club.
READ NEXT: Alex Eala adds another event to packed grass-court schedule
The post Alex Eala’s prize money and ranking points as she wins her first grass court title in thrilling fashion appeared first on Tennis365.
Leave a Reply