Anyone watching the beginning of Alex Eala's second-round match against Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the 2026 Cincinnati Open might have thought the Filipina was going to be in real trouble. After all, she was broken in the opening game. As it turns out, that loss was misleading.
Even while lacking a brilliant second serve, Eala, who could get close to the top 10 should she win the entire tournament, manages to outperform most of her opponents with an excellent ability to return and well-struck and precise groundstrokes. Ruse learned that lesson quickly.
In the opening set, Ruse won only two of the 16 points available on her first serve, an astonishing statistic that only further proves what could make Eala special. Good players can serve their way out of danger, but great players avoid danger altogether with high-end returning.
Alex Eala crushed Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the second round of the Cincinnati Open
The young Filipina isn't truly great yet, as she has only won one WTA title, but she is trending in that direction. Plus, against Ruse, Eala was performing near her best level, and the Romanian had no answer. Any hope from the first game of the first set was completely gone by the time the second set began.
To make matters worse for Ruse, she was broken again to open set two. She hadn't held serve at the point, and many of her service games weren't close. Nothing is more defeating to a tennis player than hitting a serve knowing it will come back fast and out of reach. Ruse was beating herself; she was simply being dominated by a better player.
As always, the crowd watching the match was firmly behind Eala. Everywhere she plays is like a home match in the Philippines. That would be a lot of pressure for many players, but Eala takes the situation in stride, building off the applause with aplomb.
As the second set grew old, Ruse kept failing to hold. In only a matter of minutes, it was 3-0 Eala, and Ruse needed a medical timeout for an apparent ankle or foot issue. She didn't appear to be hobbled, though.
After the timeout, a rain delay occurred, which time Ruse retired due to the injury. Hopefully, one that isn't that bad.
Alexandra Eala's next match at the Cincinnati Open will likely be a huge uptick in terms of competition, though. She will play Amanda Anisimova, the kind of big-hitting player who can punish Eala's slower second serve. That said, the Filipina is becoming such a great returner that Anisimova will need to be careful that Eala doesn't break her often.
Add us as a preferred source on Google