After starting flat-footed, defending ladies singles champion Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic showed debuting Alex Eala of the Philippines her championship winning ways in her most poignant way, winning the 2025 Wimbledon Championships round one, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, in Centre Court on Tuesday.
Krejcikova, winner of three Wimbledon titles among her twelve singles and doubles Grand Slam trophies, flexed her muscles on the service line, starting the second set rampage, 8-1 on points, with booming serves.
Eala never recovered from that since, suffering from weak returns and perhaps fatigue after a grueling but breakthrough Eastbourne Open campaign just two days ago, where she lost in a three-set final that went down to a 10-12 sudden death.
Still, Krejcikova was all praise to Eala, given the latter’s first set win.
“I would like to start with giving the credits to Alex. I mean, what the hell she played in the first set,” a relieved Krejcikova commented after the game.
Krejcikova’s serves were her failure in the first set, committing two double faults and conceding three breaks to Eala.
Still, it was a Hollywood dream for Eala on her Wimbledon debut, with her very first main draw match in Centre Court and against the defending champion.
Level at 2-2, with both holding their serves and breaking the other, Eala surged to a four-game win streak marked by her two winners for a 4-2 gap in the seventh game.
“Yeah, I mean, she was smashing the ball and she was cleaning the lines and all that, so, wow!” Krejcikova remarked.
“Wow, it’s a next generation coming. She’s gonna come up and she’s gonna be really good in a couple of years. So, first of all, big credit, big credit to her,” the Czech, who won her first singles Grand Slam in the 2021 French Open, added.
Despite her another first round exit in a Grand Slam main draw, Eala will still compete tomorrow in the ladies doubles tournament with German partner Eva Lys, as Eala will try to avenge her French Open doubles loss to Olga Danilovic of Serbia and Anastasia Potapova of Russia.
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(Photo screencapped from the official Wimbledon broadcast)
