Alexandra Eala finally ended her long-running struggles against Czech opponents after defeating Nikola Bartunkova, 5-7, 6-3, 7-5, to win the Birmingham Open title on Sunday.
The victory was historic for the Filipina tennis star, who entered the final with an 0-13 record against Czech players.
After 14 attempts, Eala finally broke through, overcoming Bartunkova in a dramatic three-set comeback to claim both the championship and her first career win over a player from the Czech Republic.
Before her triumph, Eala had suffered a series of defeats against Czech opponents across ITF, WTA and Grand Slam events.
Her losses came against Anastasia Zarycka (2-6, 4-6), Gabriela Knutson (6-2, 3-6, 1-6), Tereza Martincova (6-3, 4-6, 6-7), Marie Bouzkova twice (2-6, 2-6 and 5-7, 6-7), Katerina Siniakova (3-6, 1-6), Linda Fruhvirtova (5-7, 7-6, 1-6), Barbora Krejcikova (6-3, 2-6, 1-6), Marketa Vondrousova (6-3, 1-6, 2-6), Tereza Valentova twice (1-6, 2-6 and 6-7, 1-6), Linda Noskova (2-6, 0-6), Karolina Muchova (0-6, 2-6), and Bartunkova herself before finally turning the tide in Birmingham.
Several of those defeats were heartbreaking near-misses. Eala won the opening set against Martincova, Krejcikova and Vondrousova before eventually falling in three sets, while she also pushed Martincova, Bouzkova and Fruhvirtova to deciding-set or tiebreak battles.
Against Bartunkova, however, Eala refused to let history repeat itself.
After surrendering the opening set, 5-7, the 21-year-old regrouped and dominated the second set, 6-3, before edging her Czech rival in a tense decider, 7-5.
The victory improved Eala’s record against Czech players to 1-13 and erased one of the most unusual statistical obstacles of her career.
The post Alex Eala breaks ‘Czech curse’ on 14th try first appeared on Fastbreak.
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