Alex Eala overwhelms Mary Stoiana to reach US Open second round

Alexandra "Alex" Eala slammed the door shut on Mary Stoiana, cruising to a 6-1, 6-2 win to kick off her 2026 US Open campaign at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in Flushing Meadows, New York on Tuesday night (Wednesday morning in the Philippines).

The 21-year-old Filipina, currently ranked No. 18 in the world and seeded No. 17 in the tournament, sent the American packing on her own home court as she advanced to the second round, where she will face Ukrainian star Oleksandra Oliynykova.

READ MORE | Alex Eala at the 2026 US Open: Schedule, draw, and match time

"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 the post-game on-court interview.

"I think she put me in uncomfortable positions and she's been having a great run coming from quali and a good past couple of weeks. So I'm really happy with this match."

HIGHLIGHTS | Alex Eala vs Mary Stoiana (US Open first round)

Eala took advantage of multiple errors from Stoiana, who survived three grueling matches in the qualifying round, to race to a comfortable 5-0 lead in the opening frame.

However, the former US NCAA star from Texas A&M forced Eala into a series of errors of her own in Game 6 to finally get on the board. Eala, though, made life difficult for Stoiana from the service line, sweeping the next game to complete a one-sided Set 1 win.

Stoiana gave Eala a scare in Set 2, taking a 2-1 lead behind a barrage of forehand winners.

That was as far as the 23-year-old American could go, as Eala won the next five games to complete the sweep. Eala had to earn match point the hard way, with Stoiana forcing three deuces in Game 7 before the Filipina seized the next two points on back-to-back errors from the American.

In the final game, Eala erased a 40-30 deficit before claiming the last three points, with Stoiana committing a return error on the final point to pave the way for Eala's ticket to the second round.

By beating Stoiana, Eala has already matched her previous US Open showing and now has a chance to surpass it when she faces Oliynykova in the second round.

—JKC/JMB, GMA News