Mertens Defeats Eala Again in Straight Sets at Bad Homburg Opener

Alex Eala’s strong grass-court run was halted by Elise Mertens, as the Belgian World No. 26 cruised to a 6-3, 6-3 victory in the first round of the WTA 500 Bad Homburg Open on Tuesday morning (Manila time) in Germany.

The loss marked Eala’s second defeat to Mertens this season, with the experienced Belgian once again proving too steady for the young Filipina.

Eala entered the match in strong form after winning the WTA 125 Birmingham title and reaching the semifinals at the WTA 500 Berlin Open. She started brightly, breaking Mertens in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead in the first set.

However, Mertens quickly regained control. The former World No. 12 capitalized on a dip in Eala’s serve and forehand consistency, breaking back immediately and reeling off five straight games to claim the opening set 6-3.

Mertens carried the momentum into the second set, racing to a 3-0 lead with aggressive baseline play and forcing Eala into errors. Although Eala earned a break point in the fifth game, Mertens held firm with strong serving and closed out the match in one hour and 24 minutes.

Mertens advances to the second round, where she will face four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka.

Despite the singles loss, Eala’s tournament continues in the doubles draw, where she is partnering with Venus Williams. The pair will open against alternates Catherine Harrison of the United States and Alexandra Osborne of Australia.