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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Alex Eala holds off Linette, marches into Miami Open Round of 16

Alex Eala holds off Linette, marches into Miami Open Round of 16

Published Mar 22, 2026 06:54 am

At A Glance

  • With the victory, Eala arranged a next meeting with another tough opponent in 13th seed and 2023 French Open finalist Karolina Muchova, who bested Katie Boulter, 6-3, 7-5.
Alex Eala (File Photo/ AP)
Alex Eala (File Photo/ AP)
Alex Eala weathered a second-set rally from Magda Linette, securing a 6-3, 7-6 (2) victory to punch her ticket to the Round of 16 at the Miami Open on Sunday, March 22 (Philippine time).
After a dominant first set, the 31st-seeded Eala had to dig deep midway through the second frame to outlast the more experienced but lower-ranked Linette and keep her campaign alive in this WTA1000 event.
With the victory, Eala arranged a next meeting with another tough opponent in 13th seed and 2023 French Open finalist Karolina Muchova, who bested Katie Boulter, 6-3, 7-5.
The Filipina ace stayed steady early in the opening set before breaking in the eighth game to take a 5-3 lead, paving the way for the set win.
But the 34-year-old Linette, a 2023 Australian Open semifinalist, showed her composure in a tense second set, breaking Eala in the sixth game and holding serve in the seventh to turn a 1-3 deficit into a 4-3 lead.
Both players held from there until Eala took control in the tiebreak, racing to a 5-1 advantage and never looking back.
Expect Eala the same intensity in her match against Muchova, who secured a first-round bye and then survived Camila Osorio, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5, before facing Boulter.
The 29-year-old Czech, ranked No. 14 in the world, previously stunned then-world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka en route to a runner-up finish to Iga Swiatek at the 2023 French Open.
Last month, Muchova defeated Victoria Mboko to clinch the Qatar Open, a similar WTA1000 event.
Interestingly, another win for Eala would set her a quarterfinal meeting with either Mirra Andreeva and Mboko -- two of the world’s teen sensations in the sport.
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