FILIPINA tennis star Alex Eala opened her 2026 US Open campaign in dominant fashion, dispatching American qualifier Mary Stoiana, 6-1, 6-2, on Tuesday night (Wednesday in the Philippines) at Louis Armstrong Stadium in New York.
The No. 17 seed Eala controlled the match from the start, winning 61 points compared with Stoiana’s 42 and taking 12 games to the American’s three.
The Filipina also held a clear advantage on serve. She landed 63 percentof her first serves and won 78 percent of those points, while also taking 56 percent of her points behind her second serve.
Eala converted four of eight break-point opportunities and won eight of her 11 service games. Stoiana, meanwhile, went 0-for-6 on break-point chances.
Neither player recorded an ace, while both committed three double faults.
Eala’s consistency was reflected in the numbers as she won 23 receiving points and 38 service points. Her longest run of games won reached five.
“Yeah, of course it was very difficult. You know, every exchange had its own challenges, especially in the start of the second set,” Eala said in a post-game interview.
“I think she put me in uncomfortable positions and she’s been having a great run, coming from quali and good past couple of weeks, so I’m really happy with this match,” she added.
The victory also gave Eala another win over Stoiana after she defeated the American, 7-5, 6-2 at a W100 tournament in Landisville, Pennsylvania in 2024.
Eala now advances to the second round of the year’s final Grand Slam where she will battle Oleksandra Olinykova of Ukraine. (Adrian Co)
