US Open: 18-year-old Iva Jovic ends Alex Eala’s run in slugfest between young stars
If Saturday’s Iva Jovic-Alex Eala match is a sign of things to come, tennis has a bright future. But it will be only Jovic playing over the next few days.
The 18-year-old American ended the Alex Eala show at the US Open with a 7-5, 3-7, 7-5 win over the 21-year-old Filipino star in the third round on Saturday. Her reward will be No. 4 seed Coco Gauff in the fourth round.
The match was between a pair of good friends, but turned into one of the most intense battles of the entire tournament. Both players are great ball-strikers. Neither have serves you would describe as elite or even above-average in a Grand Slam draw. Both chose to stay on the baseline and play the angles.
Advertisement
Tennis is more than just winners and unforced errors but that ratio showed how crisp the contact was, with Jovic posting 44 winners to 27 unforced errors, compared to 34 and 33 for Eala.
Jovic’s forehand in particular stood out, especially when directed to the same side toward the left-handed Eala’s own forehand. It was a rewarding shot in the first set, and for much of the rest of the match.
The match was break points galore (Jovic 9 of 17, Eala 8 of 20), with the split of points win almost even between servers and returners. The whole thing lasted more than three hours, giving the largely pro-Eala crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium the spectacle it wanted … and leaving men’s No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev to begin his own match with the clock nearing 11 p.m. local time.
Advertisement
It was draining for both participants, and Jovic ended up not minding:
“That felt like a marathon and I felt like I lost my sanity five times over to win that match, but it’s really worth it for this feeling. I’m usually not one that shows that many emotions, but this one meant a lot to me.”
The same probably can’t be said for Eala, who was gracious as she congratulated Jovic and acknowledged the crowd, then left somberly through the tunnel. It’s been an incredible season for a young player who carries the hopes of her native Philippines into every match, but she simply ran into an opponent capable of matching her best on Saturday.
The match looked winnable for Eala when she led 4-2 in the third set. Breaks and holds had no meaning in this match, but all she needed was two games at a time when momentum was definitely on her side.
Advertisement
Speaking again on ESPN later, Jovic spoke about the physical toll the match took on her:
“Playing on Arthur Ashe, in front of that atmosphere, I felt like I was shaking throughout the entire match. I lost my earrings midway through. I got them back. There was a time I was literally splat on the floor … I have cuts on my knees. I had to give absolutely everything to get through that.”
The win continues Jovic’s own breakout season, which she began with a quarterfinal appearance at the Australian Open that was only ended by top seed Aryna Sabalenka. She reached the third round at Roland-Garros, only to run into Naomi Osaka. Her fourth-round opponent at Wimbledon: Jessica Pegula.
Gauff figures to be a similar challenge, but Jovic gave plenty of reason to expect an upset with her form Saturday. Per ESPN, she’s the youngest American woman to reach three Grand Slam fourth rounds in a single year since Venus Williams in 1998.