Alexandra Eala has been winning matches in different ways this week. That may be the most encouraging part of her Toronto run.
She beat Caty McNally 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 in 2 hours and 39 minutes, despite receiving treatment after rolling her right ankle in the second set. The win extended Eala’s winning streak to seven and sent her into the fourth round, where she will face No. 12 seed Belinda Bencic for a place in the quarterfinals.
It is Eala’s first meeting with Bencic, and it is a serious step up in opponent. Bencic is a former Canadian Open champion and one of the smartest players on the women’s tour. She does not need to blast opponents off the court. She takes the ball early, redirects pace, and makes players uncomfortable by giving them less time to set up.
That will be the main issue for Eala.
Eala’s left-handed forehand has been a major weapon in this run. She can pull opponents wide, especially from the ad court, then use the open space to take control of the point. Against Bencic, though, hitting a few big forehands and waiting for a mistake will not be enough. Bencic is good at getting those balls back early and sending them somewhere different.
The match could come down to whether Eala can keep Bencic moving and reacting. If Bencic gets comfortable near the baseline and starts taking returns early, Eala could spend much of the match under pressure on serve. Eala needs a strong first-serve percentage, especially on the ad side, to open the court and give herself the first look at attack.
The ankle is another factor, even if Eala has indicated it is manageable. Bencic’s game is not built around pure power, but it demands quick movement. She changes direction well, hits early and makes players cover the court. Eala cannot afford to be stuck defending from the corners for long stretches.
The best way for Eala to protect herself is to play on her own terms. She should look for the forehand early, use the wide serve, and mix in changes of pace. She cannot fall into a predictable crosscourt pattern because Bencic will read it quickly. Eala has to keep the Swiss player guessing – heavy forehands crosscourt, an occasional drive down the line and selective trips to the net when the opening is there.
Bencic is coming off a three-hour, 24-minute win over Taylor Townsend, so Eala also has a reason to make this physical. The more long rallies and tight service games, the more Bencic will have to draw on after a demanding previous round.
But Eala should not expect the Swiss veteran to fade. Bencic has won big matches for years and knows how to manage pressure when a match gets tight.
Eala’s win over McNally showed the maturity behind this run. After losing the second set, she broke early in the decider and protected the advantage to close out the match. That kind of resilience will matter against Bencic.
Eala can expect strong Filipino support again in Toronto, particularly if the match becomes tight. But her biggest task is to keep the match simple. She does not need to make a statement on every ball. She needs to serve well, use her forehand intelligently and stay patient when Bencic sends back shots that would finish points against most players.
Bencic will try to take away time, test Eala’s serve and force the Filipina to hit one more ball. If Eala can stay patient through those exchanges and stop Bencic from dictating inside the baseline, she has a real chance to add another important win to a breakthrough summer.
Toronto’s draw has already been shaken by major exits, with top seed Aryna Sabalenka falling to Ekaterina Alexandrova in three sets and No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula losing 6-3, 6-3 to Diana Shnaider, who snapped an 0-4 record against the American. Iga Swiatek avoided a similar fate after dropping the opening set to Marta Kostyuk before rallying emphatically, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, while Elina Svitolina beat Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 6-4. The results underline the volatility of the Toronto draw and add context to Eala’s night-session meeting with Belinda Bencic: the path remains difficult, but the departures of Sabalenka and Pegula show that seedings have offered little protection this week.
This is not just another match in a winning streak. It is the kind of matchup that shows whether a run has legs.