Rome, May 10 (IANS) Elena Rybakina continued her strong 2026 campaign with a straight-sets victory over Alexandra Eala to book a place in the Round of 16 of the Italian Open on Sunday. The former Rome champion secured a 6-4, 6-3 win at the Foro Italico to reach the last 16 in the Italian capital for the fourth time in five appearances and continue her consistent run at WTA 1000 events this season.

Rybakina’s superior power from the baseline proved decisive in her first career meeting against the rising Filipina star. The world No. 2 repeatedly dictated rallies with her heavy forehand and sharp serving, forcing Eala deep behind the baseline and stretching her across the court throughout the contest.

The Kazakh player was particularly dominant off the forehand wing in the opening set, producing a stream of clean winners to take control of the match early. Several of her most damaging shots came down the line, including a series of aggressive winners that prevented Eala from settling into long rallies.

After taking the opening set, Rybakina immediately grabbed momentum in the second with an early service break. Her ability to attack Eala’s second serve became a major factor as the match progressed, with the former Wimbledon champion consistently stepping inside the baseline to punish shorter deliveries.

Eala showed resilience despite the defeat and handled the windy conditions well for large periods of the match. The young Filipina briefly threatened a comeback midway through the second set after putting together a strong run of points, but Rybakina responded quickly to regain control and maintain her advantage.

A key moment arrived late in the second set when Eala missed an opportunity at the net that could have created break-point chances. Rybakina capitalised immediately afterwards, holding serve before sealing victory with another powerful forehand winner into the open court.

The win further strengthened Rybakina’s position as one of the standout performers on the women’s tour this season. She now leads the WTA Tour in main-draw victories in 2026 with 29 wins and has become the only player to reach the Round of 16 at all six WTA 1000 tournaments this year.

The 2023 Rome champion will next face either Karolina Pliskova or Laura Siegemund in the fourth round, with a strong combined head-to-head record against both.

–IANS

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