Alex Eala Grand Slam title prospects, Digi Mart USA News: Alexandra Eala is only just getting started on the tennis tour, and she has already found herself near the top of the sport. With such a rapid rise has come added pressure, with many wondering if and when she might turn her considerable talent into Grand Slam success.
Her title in Washington earlier this summer was her first at WTA Tour level, sandwiched between two career-best runs at Wimbledon and the US Open. She is clearly progressing toward that ultimate goal, but still appears some distance from achieving it.
Pam Shriver remains optimistic, and speaking with Dyan Castillejo for ABS-CBN News, she offered high praise for Eala’s game before discussing her realistic Grand Slam title chances. Shriver began with a brief assessment of what makes Eala special: “I feel like her movement is exceptional.
I love the way she uses angles. A lot of left-handers through the years can develop; they just develop an appreciation of spin and use spin really well.”
Shriver also said she has seen a great improvement in some of Eala’s weaker shots. “Let’s just use the serve.
That was so vulnerable a couple of years ago. But just overall, her attitude stays very positive.”
Highlighting the serve, Shriver argued that criticism is not always fair: “Alex has a really good slice serve. It’s about spin and placement and disguise and varying the pace.
There are a lot of things that go into making a great serve. And even if you don’t have a great serve, it’s really how you back it up.
She backs it up really, really well. If she’s not having a good day serving, it doesn’t affect the rest of her game.”
Shriver acknowledged that the serve will never be the most powerful part of Eala’s game. She pointed to Angelique Kerber, who claimed three major titles without an outstanding serve.
Asked whether Eala needs to improve that area to win a Grand Slam, Shriver said: “I think Alex Eala could learn a little bit from how Kerber won her major with that serve. And then kind of really lean on what makes you special, which, for me, is her defence; it’s her ability to take the ball early, willingness to come to net, the intangibles, her attitude.
So when you put the whole package together, if she has the belief, anything’s possible.”
Shriver also said Eala has a skill that Novak Djokovic did not develop until later in his career.
Later in the same interview, Shriver, a 21-time Grand Slam doubles champion, discussed Eala’s fans and what they have already done for tennis. Asked whether they are good for the sport despite at times lacking the expected etiquette, Shriver said: “When I saw Alex Eala play close up for the first time, I commentated on some of her matches and saw her on TV, but that was the first time, like, wow, right there.
It was very impressive.”
Shriver added: “It can certainly have a lot of impact on a player. So much depends on the opponent.
If the opponent allows the crowd to get into their head, it can really pay huge dividends, but for the most part, I feel like tennis players understand. Sometimes the crowd’s going to be for them, sometimes not, and they need to just stay in their process.”
She also said chair umpires know they need to draw boundaries, so that if some Filipino fans do not understand tennis etiquette, it is still acceptable. “We want so many people to come into our sport and enjoy it.”
