Despite holding a clear lead at world No. 46, the Filipina tennis sensation faced a tough test from her Austrian opponent, a player who was far more experienced on clay and who has established her WTA success on the surface.
Even world number 89 Graber showed her comfort early on clay and equaled Ella’s shots in a tightly contested opening set. Both players held their serve for the first nine games and Ila was ahead 5-4.
But as the set reached its decisive moment, Ella took advantage at the right time to break serve in the 10th game and secure the opener.
The numbers underscore how tight the opening set was.
Graber had a slight lead in first-half points, converting 65% compared to Ella’s 63%. But the difference came on the second serve, where the 20-year-old Filipina proved more dominant, winning 63% of the points – enough to tilt the balance in her favor in the closely contested set 1.
A similar rhythm continued at the beginning of the second set, in which both the players held their serve for the first three games and Ila went ahead 2-1. But this time the Filipina quickly created separation and broke Graber in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead.
Graber looked ready to get the momentum back on her way, creating two break-point chances in the next game. But Ila showed her composure from the baseline, saved both chances and took a strong hold to take a 4-1 lead.
However, the Austrian remained within attacking distance.
He strung together two straight games, highlighted by a break in the seventh game, to cut the deficit to 3–4 and put the pressure back on.
Still, Ella had an answer.
In a hard-fought eighth game filled with extended rallies and momentum swings, the Filipina dug deep to grab another break, putting herself in the game of taking the set out and ultimately earning her the win.
Overall, the main advantage was Eala’s effectiveness on the second serve. She won 58% of the points compared to Grabar’s 50% – a significant advantage that helped her stay in control during the tighter stages of the match.
Next up for Ella is a round of 16 clash against Jelena Ostapenko, who as a former French Open champion is a proven force on clay.
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