This is an AI-generated summary, which may contain errors. For context, always refer to the full article.
Alex Eala joins an illustrious club of players who have won the Birmingham Open by surviving Nikola Bartunkova in the final, marking her first victory over the Czech player on the WTA Tour.
MANILA, Philippines – Finally, Alex Eala broke his curse against players from the Czech Republic.
And she did so in perhaps her most important match of the year as Eala dominated the Birmingham Open in England following a hard-fought 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Nikola Bartunkova in the final on Sunday, June 7.
Defeating the Czech for the first time on the WTA Tour, the Filipina claimed her first title of the year, joining an illustrious club of players who have won the tournament that includes legends Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, Maria Sharapova, and Petra Kvitova.
“I am very honored to lift this trophy today. But lifting this trophy does not mean that I will be among the greats yet,” Eala said. “I am motivated to continue working. I am grateful for the contribution this trophy has played in my journey.”
Eala had history going against her as her record against Czech players stood at 0-13 going into the final against Bartunkova.
This year alone, Eala lost to three Czech foes, falling to Tereza Valentova in the round of 64 at the Qatar Open, Linda Noskova in the round of 16 at the Indian Wells Open, and Karolina Muchova in the round of 16 at the Miami Open – all WTA 1000 events.
But Eala finally got the proverbial monkey off her back.
After losing a 5-3 lead in the deciding set to see Bartunkova level at 5-5, the top-seeded Filipina won the next two games to claim her second WTA 125 title after dominating the tournament. Guadalajara Open in Mexico in September.
Eala broke Bartunkova in the 11th game and then saved three break points in the 12th and final game as the Czech No. 69 ran out of gas.
Bartunkova threw a series of errors that sealed the win for Eala, who couldn’t help but feel her battered opponent.
“It’s one of those days I wish we could all win, and of course, this match was amazing. I think it was anybody’s game,” Eala said.
Unbeaten in grass court competition, Eala hopes to build on her best run when she competes in the Queen’s Club Championship from Monday, June 8. – Rappler.com
