Filipina tennis sensation Alex Eala put the disappointment of a first-round exit at the French Open behind her by securing her first grass court title at the Birmingham Open on Sunday.
Eala fought back from a set down to win 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 against fifth seed Nikola Bartunkova for her second WTA 125 title.
“I am so honoured to be lifting this trophy. I’m motivated to keep working,” Eala said after her win.
“It’s one of those days I wish we could both win. This match was incredible, I think it was anyone’s game.”
With the title, Eala earned 76 ranking points, allowing her to climb four places to No 33.
“There are a couple things that I talked about with my coach,” Eala said. “But when it came to the moment, I think instinct took over.
“It’s one of those days where a little bit of luck and intention was what got me through.”
At the start of the match, Eala struggled as she landed four double faults.
Bartunkova found a way in and took the last three games to take the set. Eala came into her own in the second set. She got a crucial break at 3-2 which was enough to close out the set.
In the decider, Eala saved three break points. The match could have gone either way at 5-4 before the Filipino gained control just in time.
Eala saved three break points before a long ball from Bartunkova clinched the title. Eala will now be seen at the HSBC Championships at the Queen's Club, where American legend Serena Williams is making a long-awaited comeback.
Champion returns
American legend Williams said she is not carrying any pressure of expectations as she prepares for her comeback in London.
The 44-year-old has been given a wild card for the women's doubles to play alongside 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko at Queen's, marking her first competitive match since a farewell at the 2022 US Open.
“I don't need to win,” said Serena. “I've won more than most people have in their whole lives, so it's not that important to me, and it's important that I keep reminding myself of that, because I don't have anything to prove.
“I don't have anything to lose, and everything here is just to gain.”
Williams did not specifically use the word retirement four years back, instead stating that she had decided to “evolve away” from tennis.
Speaking after she and Mboko trained at Queen's Club, she said: “This whole journey is like, I'm putting no pressure on myself.
“For me right now, it's really just about so many elements. It's really about my kids getting to see me play. Olympia is a little bit older, Adira is very young.
“An athlete is the best thing that you can be in the highest place, and having an opportunity to still be able to do that, possibly one last time, is kind of cool and exciting.”
