The first-round showdown at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open between Alexandra Eala

and Zeynep Sonmez

wasn’t just one between two of the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz’s rising prospects, but between two trailblazers breaking new ground for their countries in the sport — and two close friends who have found a kinship in each other due to this.

In the event, Eala came through 6-4, 6-3 in an hour and 29 minutes, improving her overall record against Sonmez to 3-0.

Two weeks ago, Eala — the first Filipina to be ranked in the Top 50 — and Sonmez — the first Turkish woman to reach the third round of a major — had brought immense fan energy to the Australian Open. The Filipino and Turkish diaspora communities turned out in drives to support their heroines, and their matches were characterized by fervent cheers, chants and flag-waving.

In Abu Dhabi, there was no meeting of rival fanbases — the Filipino contingent dominated the heavily pro-Eala crowd. But after the 20-year-old had completed her win, her first instinct was to pay tribute to Sonmez.

“I’m so honored to share the court with one of my closest friends, Zeynep,” Eala said. “I admire her so much and she’s really making waves in many ways, and our friendship goes beyond tennis and I’m so grateful for that.”

The pair were still able to go toe-to-toe in a fiercely competitive contest. No. 45-ranked Eala also drew attention to the similarities between their games in her on-court interview, and a series of high-octane exchanges saw both seek to impose their flat striking by taking the ball early and finding sharp angles to open the court.

Eala and Sonmez also share attackable serves and, as a counterbalance, an aggressive mindset on return — making for 10 service breaks out of 19 games in total. Eala’s fast start to each set proved key — having got herself quick leads in each, she was able to keep her nose in front as Sonmez chased valiantly, but never quite caught up.

“It’s definitely something you have to get used to,” Eala said about the experience of playing a friend.”Maybe it’s harder in the juniors, but as a professional you learn to disassociate. In the end, we both want the best for each other but we know that when we’re on court, we’re going to do our best, both of us, to do what we can.”

Eala will next face lucky loser Aliaksandra Sasnovich

, who out-manoeuvred No. 8 seed Paula Badosa

6-4, 3-6, 6-1 with an array of angles and lobs to improve to 2-1 overall against the Spaniard.

Elsewhere, No. 7 seed Jelena Ostapenko

triumphed in the day’s most dramatic tilt, saving two match points against qualifier Oksana Selekhmeteva

en route to a 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-2 victory in 2 hours and 43 minutes. It was the Latvian’s first win from match point down since her 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(7) defeat of Clara Tauson

in the 2024 Linz second round.

Ostapenko led 5-2 in the first set, only to drop eight straight games as Selekhmeteva began finding the corners with pinpoint counterpunches. From 3-0 down in the second set, Ostapenko gradually worked herself into the match with disciplined hitting, saving one match point down at 5-3 and another at 5-4. Once she had edged a tense tiebreak, the former Roland Garros champion was at her free-flowing best in the decider.

Ostapenko wil next face another qualifier, 19-year-old Sara Bejlek

. The Czech teenager dropped just three games in a 67-minute 6-3, 6-0 rout of last year’s runner-up Ashlyn Krueger

, leaving the American flat-footed with a series of perfectly executed drop shots.