Alex Eala outlasts former world No. 17 Donna Vekić in three-set thriller, marches into Round of 16

Alex Eala authored one of the biggest wins of her young WTA career on Tuesday, outlasting former world No. 17 Donna Vekić in a thrilling three-set battle, 4–6, 6–4, 6–4, to reach the second round of the WTA 250 ASB Classic in Auckland.

The Round of 32 encounter unfolded as a tug-of-war in momentum, with both players trading control across all three sets before Eala’s composure and persistence ultimately tipped the scales.

Vekić struck first, leaning on her experience to secure the opening set 6–4. The Croatian dictated early with her serve, firing seven aces overall and winning 60 percent of points on her first delivery in the match.

 Even as she struggled with nine double faults, Vekić repeatedly escaped danger in the opener, edging out Eala in longer rallies and capitalizing on key moments to move ahead.

Eala, however, refused to fade. The 20-year-old Filipina steadied her game in the second set, sharpening her return and becoming more assertive from the baseline. She broke Vekić four times and converted four of her nine break-point chances in the set, taking it 6–4 to level the match. 

Eala’s efficiency on serve stood out, as she won 67 percent of points behind her first serve and began to control more of the extended exchanges.

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SERVE’S UP, 2026

Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala powers through her opening match at the ASB Classic, advancing to the Round of 16 against Croatia’s Donna Vekic, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4#AlexEala #ASBClassic pic.twitter.com/BSgZmqgNEs

— One Sports (@OneSportsPHL) January 6, 2026

By the end of two sets, the contest was balanced on a knife’s edge. The players were tied at 10 games apiece, with Vekić narrowly ahead in total points won, 72–71, underscoring just how little separated them heading into the decider.

The final set followed the same tense script. Eala edged ahead early, only for Vekić to respond and force a deadlock at 3–3, matching each push from the Filipina with answers of her own. But it was Eala who found another gear down the stretch. 

She strung together her cleanest run of the match to build a 5–3 lead, showing poise under pressure and continuing to apply stress on Vekić’s serve.

Vekić managed to hold once more, but Eala closed the door in the following game, sealing the set 6–4 and the match after two hours and thirty-eight minutes. 

In total, Eala finished with 103 points won to Vekić’s 96, claimed 10 service games, and edged her opponent in break-point conversions, 6-of-12 to 5-of-11.

The victory sends Eala into the Round of 16, where she will face another Croatian in world No. 82 Petra Marcinko, who advanced after a grueling three-set win over Camila Osorio. 

For Eala, the result not only marks a statement win over an established WTA name, but also reinforces her growing belief that she can go toe-to-toe—and win—against seasoned tour veterans.

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