Eala battles past McNally, reaches Canadian Open fourth round

Alex Eala overcame an early challenge and an ankle concern to defeat American Caty McNally, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, and advance to the fourth round of the WTA 1000 Canadian Open on Saturday in Toronto.

The 25th-seeded Filipina endured a difficult start before regaining control and outlasting McNally in a demanding two-hour, 41-minute battle at the 12,500-seat Stadium Court of Sobeys Stadium.

McNally entered the match full of confidence after producing one of the tournament’s biggest upsets in the previous round, eliminating sixth seed and Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic.

The American quickly put Eala under pressure, breaking the Filipina twice to take a 3-1 lead as Eala struggled to find her rhythm.

Eala responded by adjusting her strategy, becoming more patient during rallies and limiting McNally’s opportunities to attack the net. The change proved effective as she broke the American in the sixth and eighth games before winning five straight games to claim the opening set.

McNally fought back in the second set, using her variety and pace changes to disrupt Eala’s momentum.

After Eala took a 2-1 lead, McNally immediately recovered with a break. Eala regained the advantage at 3-2 before calling for a medical timeout to have her ankle taped due to discomfort.

The injury appeared to affect Eala’s movement, allowing McNally to win the next two games and take a 4-3 lead. Despite removing the tape later in the set, Eala struggled to regain her previous mobility as McNally forced a decider.

The Filipina responded strongly in the third set, breaking McNally in the opening game and building an early 2-0 advantage.

Both players held serve for the remainder of the set, allowing Eala to preserve her lead and secure a place in the last 16.

The victory marked Eala’s third straight win over an American opponent. She previously defeated Alycia Parks in the second round before winning the WTA 500 Mubadala Citi DC Open title with a victory over Jessica Pegula.

Eala, now ranked No. 20 in the world, will face Swiss No. 1 Belinda Bencic, currently ranked No. 14, in the fourth round.