Iva Jovic and Alexandra Eala put on a show on Saturday night at the US Open — and by the time it was over, Jovic had exhausted all of her reserves.
The 18-year-old American prevailed 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 in a three-hour, three-minute epic that many were calling the match of the tournament as it unfolded.
“I honestly don’t know what to think after that,” Jovic said. “I think the level was absolutely incredible from both sides. So, you know, we definitely put on a show, and it literally took everything to get through that.”
Jovic and Eala, great friends off the court, battled like sworn enemies in a back-and-forth clash that kept the Arthur Ashe faithful on the edge of their seats for over three hours.
Jovic received treatment on her groin before the third set after appearing to experience discomfort late in the second. Eala immediately tested her movement, breaking in the opening game and holding for 2-0.
But Jovic refused to go away. She twice came from a break down in the deciding set, battling through the physical issues and an inspired opponent as the tension only grew down the stretch.
“I took losing my earrings, falling literally flat-out on the floor, cuts on my knees, mental breakdowns,” Jovic said. “It took literally everything.”
The friendship between Jovic and Eala didn’t get in the way of a ferocious battle. And when it was finally over, the respect between the two young stars seemed only to have grown.
Eala congratulated her friend after the match, while Jovic became emotional describing the way Eala treated her both on court and later, away from the crowd.
“It says a lot about her as a person,” Jovic said. “I’m going to start crying, but it says a lot about her as a person to be able to do that after that type of match and still come over and hug me and wish me all the best, and even in the locker room, behind closed doors. That just says a lot about her and her character. Yeah, she’s incredible.”
The numbers reflected the quality of the battle. Jovic struck 44 winners to Eala’s 34, with both players finishing on the positive side of the winners-to-unforced-errors ledger.
“For me personally, this means more than a 1 and 2 win, and especially knowing the level that was played,” Jovic said. “It gives me a lot of confidence to be able to beat someone who is playing arguably top-5 tennis right now with the summer that she’s had.”
Eala was disappointed but similarly proud of what they had produced.
“Of course there is disappointment in losing, but yeah, trying to see the positive side, I think it was a really good match,” she said. “I think the level was really high.”
For Jovic, the reward is another marquee occasion: a fourth-round showdown with Coco Gauff.
“This is what you want,” Jovic said. “Week 2 in the slams, you’re playing one of the best players in the world.”
Their last meeting was a heartbreaker for Jovic. After surviving one on Saturday night, she believes she’ll be ready for another battle.
“I think if I replicate this level, I’m definitely going to have my chances in that one.”
0 comments