Eala braces for a tough Round of 32 showdown against Paolini in Dubai

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Alex Eala will look to solve a difficult puzzle in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships’ Round of 32 stage as she is set to meet WTA No. 8 Jasmine Paolini on Tuesday at the Dubai Tennis Stadium.

After punching a ticket to the next round when Hailey Baptiste retired due to injury, 6-4, 0-1, Eala knew what was in store the moment she drew the matchup against the former world No. 4 Italian ace.

Coming off a semifinal loss in the women’s doubles category in Qatar, Paolini is eager to redeem herself in Dubai, earning a first-round bye as the tournament’s sixth seed.

Although Paolini has yet to play her first match of the tournament, Eala is well aware of her playstyle, known as an aggressive baseline player with the ability to shift pace on every stroke.

Despite vast improvement to her all-around game, Paolini also has some vulnerabilities, particularly on second-serve points, which sometimes lack power.

That weak point will surely favor Eala, as the 20-year-old Filipina is known for her return aces whenever her opponents throw lazy second serves.

Lastly, Paolini showed some inconsistencies in maintaining her topspin power, specifically during her stints in Qatar and the 2026 Australian Open.

If Eala wants to stay the course and get the better of Paolini, the option of dragging the match into a groundstroke slugfest would most likely be a top priority for the Filipina’s coaching camp.

Nevertheless, Paolini remains an experienced WTA champion, having established herself as a top Grand Slam contender after reaching consecutive singles final appearances at the 2024 Roland Garros and the 2024 Wimbledon.

For Eala, the challenge of jumping over the quarterfinal hump in the past four tournaments is still the issue.

Her best finish of the year came during the ASB Classic in New Zealand, where she reached the semifinal round against Wang Xinyu.

Unfortunately, Eala lost the thrilling back-and-forth, 7-5, 5-7, 4-6, and has yet to return to the semifinals of a WTA Tour tournament.

Can Eala steamroll Paolini to grab a momentum-boosting start in Dubai?