In less than a month, Alex Eala got her revenge against one of the brightest young stars on the WTA Tour.
The Filipina tennis sensation continued her impressive run at the BNP Paribas Open with a stunning 6-2, ret. victory over world number four Coco Gauff on Monday morning at Indian Wells Tennis Garden, advancing to the Round of 16.
The win comes just weeks after Gauff dealt Eala a dominant defeat in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Both players struggled to settle early as serve proved difficult to hold. The first three service games were immediately traded through breaks, but Eala eventually found her rhythm in a grinding fourth game on Gauff’s serve. The 20-year old Eala produced a sharp finishing burst from the baseline to secure her second break of the set – a turning point that shifted the momentum firmly in her favor.
From there, Eala dictated play with consistent depth and aggressive returns, breaking Gauff in all four of the American’s service games in the opening set. She rolled to five consecutive games to seal the set, while the multiple Grand Slam champion Gauff struggled with her rhythm and committed seven double faults.
Physical issues then began to affect Gauff as the match progressed, with visible discomfort in her left arm. After Eala broke early in the second set to take a 2-0 lead, the American ultimately chose to retire from the match.
Eala’s discipline from the baseline proved decisive throughout the contest. Gauff finished with 26 unforced errors compared to just 12 from the Filipina, highlighting Eala’s ability to stay composed in the longer rallies and capitalize on her opponent’s lapses.
With the win, Eala improves to 4-3 against top-10 opponents and secures her second victory over a top-10 player this season. She now advances to face 14th seed Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic in the Round of 16 as her breakthrough campaign in the desert continues.