Alex Eala beats Pavlyuchenkova to advance in Madrid

Alta Sports2 days ago · 278 views

Alex Eala beats Pavlyuchenkova to advance in Madrid image

By Joel Reyes

Alex Eala finally snapped her two-match losing skid on clay, defeating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-3, 6-3 in the first round of the 2026 Madrid Open on Wednesday at Arantxa Sanchez Stadium.

It was a huge result for Eala, who needed one hour and 31 minutes to record the straight-sets win. She reached the second round of the Madrid Open for the second straight year.

The momentum swung Eala's favor in the fifth game of the first set after she broke Pavlyuchenkova to love. The Russian veteran then asked for a medical timeout because of a hip issue.

Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images

Eala took control of the contest after that, winning three of the next four games to grab the opening set in 54 minutes.

Eala continued to dominate in the second set, building a 3-1 lead after breaking Pavlyuchenkova's serve in the fourth game. The 34-year-old immediately responded with her own break to put the second set back on serve.

Eala thwarted Pavlyuchenkova's comeback bid, though, winning three of the next four games to grab her first match win since the opening round of the Linz Open.