Former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova continued her comeback from injury by denying Alexandra Eala another big-name upset in the Omnium Banque Nationale first round, advancing 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 in 2 hours and 6 minutes. Vondrousova will next face No. 24 seed Marta Kostyuk.
Montreal: Draws | Scores | Order of play
The last time Eala competed on North American hard courts, the Filipina delivered a breakout performance in Miami by knocking out three Grand Slam champions to reach the semifinals. For the opening set of her first-time encounter against Vondrousova, Eala appeared on her way to add another name to her list of upsets, pummeling her forehand with relish as the Czech player struggled with her serve.
However, Vondrousova improved her game in every respect over the last two sets. She had served five double faults in the first; she committed five across the second and third combined, while also sending down seven aces compared to none in the opener. She had converted just one out of eight break points in the first; she improved that to four out of eight in the next two.
With the fundamentals under better control, Vondrousova could focus on turning the match into a contest between offense and defense. Anticipating and redirecting Eala’s power time and again, Vondrousova proved near-impossible for the 20-year-old to hit through. A series of phenomenal passing shots helped seal the second set and build an early lead in the third.
Vondrousova also maintained an excellent record against fellow left-handers. She has not lost a completed match to a left-handed player since the end of 2023 (Leylah Fernandez at that year’s Billie Jean King Cup Finals), and has an impressive 13-3 record against them in WTA main draws and Billie Jean King Cup action.
Vondrousova and Kostyuk have split two previous meetings, both on clay. Vondrousova was a 6-2, 6-1 victor in 2023 Billie Jean King Cup play, but Kostyuk scored a 7-6(2), 6-2 win in the 2024 Stuttgart semifinals.
More to come…