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Alex Eala claims a piece of history as she advances to the second round of the US Open following a thrilling three-set win over world No. 15 Clara Tauson of Denmark
MANILA, Philippines – Alex Eala made history as the first Filipino to win a Grand Slam main draw match in the Open era following a pulsating 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (11) win over world No. 15 Clara Tauson of Denmark in New York on Sunday, August 24 (Monday, August 25, Manila time).
Down 1-5 in the third and final set, Eala refused to let up and won the next five games to drag Tauson to a tiebreak, where the Filipina held her nerve to advance to the second round.
Eala will next face either Spain’s Cristina Bucsa or the USA’s Claire Liu.
Third set
- Eala advances to the second round as she wins the tiebreak, 13-11
- Tiebreak once again tied, now at 11-11
- Tauson refusing to give up as she once again knots the count, 9-9
- Tauson ties the tiebreak at 8-8 after that forehand volley winner
- Eala fires three straight winners to mount an 8-4 tiebreak lead
- Eala scores on backhand winner for a 4-2 lead in the tiebreak
- Tauson holds serve as she forces a tiebreak, 6-6
- Make that five straight won games for Eala, who seizes the upper hand at 6-5
- Tauson double faults as Eala ties the count at 5-5
- Eala inches closer as Tauson sees her lead cut to 5-4
- Eala breaks Tauson as she closes the gap to 3-5
- Eala holds serve to stay alive, but she has a lot of catching up to do as she trails 2-5
- Tauson on the verge of advancing to the second round as she leads 5-1
- Tauson breaks Eala for the second time in the third set for a commanding 4-1 lead
- Tauson now ahead 3-1
- Tauson breaks Eala to go up 2-1
- Tauson holds serve to tie it at 1-1
- Eala regains her groove as she takes the first game, 1-0
Second set
- Tauson has turned things around as she drags Eala to a deciding set, 6-2
- Tauson wins the break point for a 5-2 lead
- Tauson regains a two-game lead, 4-2
- Eala finally holds serve in the second set to get within 2-3
- Tauson holds serve to push her lead to 3-1
- Tauson once again blanks Eala as the Dane breaks the Filipina anew for a 2-1 lead
- Eala returns the favor to tie the count at 1-1
- Tauson breaks Eala with a shutout in the first game, 1-0
First set
- Eala breaks Tauson as she wins the first set, 6-3
- Eala holds serve to gain a 5-3 lead
- Tauson nails her sixth ace to end the seventh game as she cuts her deficit to 3-4
- Eala shuts out Tauson in the sixth game to go up 4-2
- Eala breaks an error-plagued Tauson to seize the upper hand, 3-2
- Eala once again holds serve for a 2-2 tie
- Tauson fires a bunch of aces to regain the lead at 2-1
- Eala holds serve to pull level at 1-1
- Tauson utilizes her strong serve as she gets the opening game, 1-0
Preview
Alex Eala has not made it past the first round of a Grand Slam event.
But the 20-year-old Filipina can change that as she battles Denmark’s Clara Tauson in her US Open main draw debut in New York on Sunday, August 24 (Monday, August 25, Manila time).
Eala, who has enjoyed a meteoric rise this season that saw her climb as high as No. 56 in the world rankings, looks to make a splash in the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year following first-round exits in the French Open and Wimbledon.
Getting past Tauson, though, is a tall order as the Dane has gone as far as the fourth round in Grand Slams, doing so in the French Open in 2024 and in Wimbledon this year.
Ranked 15th in the world and seeded 14th in the tournament, the 22-year-old Tauson boasts of three WTA singles titles and is fresh from a semifinal appearance in the Canadian Open earlier this August.
The match marks the first-ever encounter between Eala and Tauson, with the winner facing either Spain’s Cristina Bucsa or the USA’s Claire Liu in the second round.
Start of play has been pushed back to 1:50 am as the first match at the Grandstand had just finished. (Where to watch: Alex Eala in 2025 US Open)
– Rappler.com
