ALEXANDRA Eala’s steady rise on the global tennis stage continued at the 2026 ASB Classic as the young Filipina pulled off a gritty 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory against seasoned Croatian star Donna Vekic to advance to the next round of the women’s singles on Tuesday in Auckland, New Zealand.
Eala drew energy from a large and vocal group of mostly Filipino supporters, who packed the Manuka Doctor Center Court, cheering her through a grueling two-hour and 40-minute battle against the Paris Olympics’ silver medalist as she clawed back from a set down to seal the statement victory.
“This is so special, this one in 2026. A whole lot of people came out and saw me play,” said the fourth-seeded Eala.
The 20-year-old Eala, who received a standing ovation after her upset win, will next face another Croatian, Petra Marcinko, who survived a three-set thriller of her own against Camille Osorio, 6-4, 0-6, 7-6(7-2).
Vekic, 29, also a semifinalist at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, appeared increasingly unsettled as the match wore on.
The crowd noise intensified after the world No. 53 Eala broke serve to take a 5-3 lead in the deciding set, visibly rattling the world No. 17.
“She (Vekic) is such an experienced player, super talented and decorated. So, I really had a tough time today,” Eala said of her opponent.
With fatigue clearly setting in during the third set, Vekic even asked for silence after Eala claimed the first point of the ninth game. She briefly steadied herself to reach game point at 4-5 following an Eala double fault.
Momentum, however, had firmly swung Eala’s way.
Vekic crumbled under pressure, committing a series of errors that allowed Eala to win the final four points of the ninth game and close out the match.
The Croatian finished with nine double faults, two of them coming in the decisive final game.
Eala was efficient and aggressive on serve, winning 34 of 59 first-serve points as she overcame a player widely tipped to contend deep into the tournament.
Her singles’ breakthrough came just a day after another headline-grabbing performance, when Eala and doubles’ partner Iva Jovic stunned tennis legend Venus Williams and Elina Svitolina, 7-6(8-7), 6-1, in the women’s doubles.
“I’m quite happy at being able to compete at this level, especially after a tough pre-season,” Eala said.
