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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Alex Eala dumps hometown rival, sets up marquee rematch with Ostapenko in Linz

Alex Eala dumps hometown rival, sets up marquee rematch with Ostapenko in Linz

Published Apr 8, 2026 02:35 am

At A Glance

  • The unseeded Eala dug deep in the opening set, holding her ground against a pesky Grabher before finally breaking serve in the 10th game to seal the frame.
File Photo Alex Eala Instagram
File Photo Alex Eala Instagram
Alex Eala dumped hometown bet Julia Grabher, 6-4, 6-3, to kick off her clay season in style at the Upper Austria Linz Open on Wednesday, April 8 (Philippine time).
The unseeded Eala dug deep in the opening set, holding her ground against a pesky Grabher before finally breaking serve in the 10th game to seal the frame.
Riding that momentum, Eala surged to a 4-1 lead in the second set after capitalizing on Grabher’s service lapse in the fourth game.
But the Austrian, ranked No. 89 and 43 spots below Eala, refused to go quietly. She held serve in the sixth game and broke the Filipina in the seventh to cut the deficit to 3-4.
Eala quickly regained control, breaking back in the eighth game before closing out the match in the ninth.
The victory -- her first on clay this season -- sets up a marquee rematch against Grand Slam champion and fourth seed Jelena Ostapenko, who received an opening-round bye.

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