Eala exacts revenge on Zarazua, snaps first-round Wimbledon curse

Raikkonnen Refol

After suffering a first-round exit in last year’s edition of the tournament, Alex Eala took her lessons to heart, pulling off a gutsy masterclass over a familiar foe to finally exorcise the ghosts of last year’s heartbreak.

Eager to avoid history repeating itself, Eala avenged her loss to Renata Zarazua in the 2024 ITF Cary Tennis Classic, launching an early rampage to deal the Mexican a 6-1, 6-2 defeat and shatter the first-round barrier in the Wimbledon Championships women’s singles tournament at the All England Club in London on Wednesday (Philippine time).

It took the Filipina tennis star just one rematch to brew the winning formula against her Mexican rival, stringing together commanding runs in both sets that propelled her to a lopsided victory and a spot in the second round.

“I’m very happy with my first round. I hope to keep the momentum going. May konting kaba pero masaya ako sa laro ko ngayon. Ang daming nanood, ang daming suporta, so masaya!” Eala said during a postmatch press conference, according to ABS-CBN News.

It was a nip-and-tuck affair early in the opening set as the match stood tied at 1-1 before the 21-year-old found her rhythm, unleashing a five-game surge through relentless pressure that forced Zarazua into a string of errors to claim the opening frame.

Opening the gates of the second set with a 2-0 cushion, Eala looked poised to cruise before Zarazua refused to buckle under pressure, firing a strong serve that forced the Filipina into a weak return to trim the deficit to one and ignite a brief fightback.

However, the 29th seed refused to let the flames die.

Sparking another surge, Eala reasserted her dominance by breaking Zarazua’s serve before holding at love for a commanding 5-1 advantage.

From there, Eala wasted no time putting the match to bed.

Zarazua, hoping to flip the script, answered with a love hold of her own, but it only fueled Eala’s resolve to close the curtain, capitalizing on the Mexican’s unforced errors before sealing the straight-set victory with a forehand winner.

With the win, Eala now turns her attention to Maya Joint in the second round, seeking redemption after falling to the Australian in the final of the 2025 Eastbourne Open.