Alexandra Eala battled through a tough opening-round test on Wednesday, rallying past Magdalena Fręch to advance to the Round of 64 at the 2026 Italian Open.
Eala secured the 6-0, 3-6, 6-4 win in two hours and seven minutes, giving the 20-year-old Filipina her first career Rome Open victory.
"I'm really proud of myself because there were so many moments, especially in the third set, where she could've gone really far," Eala said of her Round of 128 opponent.
Despite the competition, the world No. 42 looked firmly in control early in the match.
Eala dictated rallies from the baseline, winning 67% of her first-serve points while remaining flawless behind her second serve. She subsequently shut out Fręch 6-0 in the opening set.
However, momentum shifted in the second.
The Polish player settled into longer rallies, forcing a deciding set after taking advantage of a dip in Eala’s form.
Fręch managed to grab a 3-1 lead in the third before Eala responded.
The 20-year-old broke back to level the set at 3-3, held for a 4-3 advantage, then fought off a break point in a crucial ninth game to move ahead 5-4. From there, Eala broke Fręch one final time to close out the victory.
"I think I've come a long way from last year," Eala said. "My team and I have really been working the past few weeks, and I think that we've been able to put out just some things that we've been working on in competition."
Where to Watch Alexandra Eala at the 2026 Italian Open
Eala next faces Wang Xinyu in the Round of 64, after the No. 31 seed received a first-round bye. Xinyu previously defeated Eala in the Auckland semifinals earlier this year.
The Italian Open continues through May 17th, live on the Tennis Channel.
