One powerful image that captured the attention of many readers around the world showed how Alex Eala tripped and dove, her body stretched in full length, to save the tennis ball.
It’s a dream shot for a sports photojournalist to depict the dramatic action, showing grit and determination, for the outcome that she and her followers wanted: a win over the defending Wimbledon champion that settled the 1-1 tie in their previous encounters.
Whatever the outcome of her next match, Alex is now part of Wimbledon records, in addition to the growing list of her accomplishments in the matches she has played across continents, especially starting last year at the Miami Open, where she stunned Swiatek, then ranked No. 2 in the world.
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It’s not only in the power of photos that the outcome of the Eala-Swiatek Round 3 match gets remembered more.
Among the many stories and posts written about her third-round triumph, one stood out for its showing-not-telling old formula approach in humanizing the tennis saga of Eala.
The account of the British Broadcasting Corporation based on Alex’s post-game interview drew a long thread of appreciative comments from readers as it recounted her rise from humble beginnings – in her training with her grandfather and brother, Mico, who became a member of the Penn State University Tennis team.
Among the paragraphs I enjoyed reading said: “Asked what the victory meant, the 21-year-old replied: ‘I went to train every day after school with my ruffled socks, light-up shoes and chubby cheeks…’”
There goes that tested-and-proven approach of presenting facts so vividly stated, mentally transporting the reader to the scene of action described – as if he or she was witnessing it right before his or eyes – the image of a player largely transformed from chubby-cheeked girl, who wore light-up shoes and ruffled socks.
How did the interviewers draw such a response from her?
Any journalist worth his/her salt knows that it is in asking the right (no matter how simple) questions that one can extract the story worth writing about. As I had emphasized in my journalism classes and lectures through the years: “The reporter is just as good as the questions he/she asks.”
Thanks, BBC, for reminding readers the beauty of factual reporting.
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The World Cup is down to 16 teams with matches scheduled July 4-7.
Europe leads the cast with eight teams, followed by the two American regions, each with 3 and Africa, two.
Europe has two more teams in the 2026 World Cup compared to the 2022 staging. Africa has kept its record of two qualifiers.
The North and Central America and Caribbean area has two more qualifiers this year while South America is up from two to three teams now.
Notably missing in the Round of 16 this year are the Asian teams, which registered a breakthrough three teams – Australia, Japan and South Korea – in the last World Cup.
For football lovers, the midnight and early morning watch continues.
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For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. (1 Timothy 4:8) | NWI
