WTA Eastbourne Final Prediction: Alexandra Eala vs Maya Joint

It will be two youngsters coming up against each other in the WTA Lexus Eastbourne Open final as 20-year-old Alexandra Eala faces 19-year-old Maya Joint. The latter has already claimed a WTA Tour title this year, while Eala is trying to write another chapter in Filipino tennis history. Who do you think will come away with the trophy just two days before Wimbledon?

WTA Eastbourne Final Prediction

Alexandra Eala vs Maya Joint

Head-to-head: First meeting

Clay season didn’t work out at all for Alexandra Eala after her breakout Miami run, but that’s just the way her game is with not much consistent spin or pace on the flat strokes. It’s suited much better to a grass court, with her slider serve causing opponents to feel uncomfortable and the way she’s able to utilize the speed of the shots coming at her to counter-punch successfully. Having come through the qualifying, she made power-hitters like Dayana Yastremska and Jelena Ostapenko go off completely for major chunks of their matches.

Maya Joint has been on the rise herself. After deciding not to compete in the college system despite initial plans, the Australian is making it seem like she made the right decision. Just before the French Open, she claimed her first WTA Tour title in Rabat and is looking to repeat this achievement in the week before Wimbledon. Having lost in Nottingham qualifying, Joint got herself into the right groove quickly and has defeated excellent grass-courters Ons Jabeur and Emma Raducanu this week.

Eala’s matches are typically quite tough to predict with her unpleasant lefty spins causing fits to some opponents, while others seem to handle it a lot more easily. Joint has shown this week that she can take variety, so the former junior No. 2 will have to take it a different level to beat her. It will be a big test for the Australian’s patience and having been at this stage of a WTA Tour event before, she might be ready to face it. Joint will not smoke Eala (pun very intended), but she seems like the slight favorite to defeat her.
Prediction: Joint in 3