Eala Redeems Rome Loss with Thrilling Comeback Over Fręch

Alex Eala erased the heartbreak of last year in Rome with a resilient comeback at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia on Tuesday.

The World No. 42 Filipina overcame World No. 45 Magdalena Fręch of Poland, 6-0, 2-6, 6-4, in a tense opening-round clash at the Pietrangeli clay court in Foro Italico.

It was a far cry from Eala’s 2024 campaign in the Italian capital, where she exited early after winning just a single game against Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk. This time, the 20-year-old arrived with renewed focus—and it showed from the outset.

Eala dominated the opening set in just 27 minutes, breaking Fręch’s serve three times while holding her own flawlessly, never facing a break point in a commanding 6-0 start.

Fręch, however, refused to go quietly. The 28-year-old rallied in the second set, racing to a 3-0 lead as Eala’s rhythm dipped briefly. Although Eala narrowed it to 3-2, Fręch closed out the set with three straight games to level the match.

The deciding set became a battle of endurance and nerve, with both players exchanging heavy baseline rallies. Fręch struck first, taking a 2-0 lead and later extending to 3-1. Eala gradually fought back, winning three consecutive games to lead 4-3 before Fręch equalized at 4-4.

The turning point came in a marathon ninth game, where Eala held serve after four deuces to move ahead 5-4. She then broke Fręch in the next game to complete her comeback in two hours and nine minutes.

Eala now advances to the second round of the WTA 1000 tournament, setting up a rematch against World No. 33 Wang Xinyu of China. Wang previously defeated Eala in the semifinals of the ASB Classic in New Zealand earlier this year, giving the Filipina a chance to settle the score as her Rome campaign continues.