Alex Eala in this year’s US Open. —UNITED STATES TENNIS ASSOCIATION
With steely nerves and solid service game, Alex Eala is through to the US Open juniors singles and doubles quarterfinals.
She will square off with Switzerland’s Sebastianna Sciilipoti early Friday morning in pursuit of a second trip to a Grand Slam single semifinals.
And later that day, she and Hanne Vandewinkel of Belgium will take on Americans Elizabeth Coleman and Madison Sieg for a place in semis doubles.
Alex Eala 🇵🇭 & Toni Nadal!
VAMOS‼️
📽: @tennis_gifs pic.twitter.com/A0808a6M01— Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar (@rnadalacademy) September 8, 2021
Showing the fight that characterized her game, the 16-year-old Eala fought through a set down and 5-4 deficit to defeat Greece’s Michaela Laki, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, late Wednesday.
The Filipino second seed then just took a a few hours to rest before teaming up with Vandewinkle and disposing of Laki and Slovakian Radka Zelnickova, 6-3, 3-6 (10-6).
Just like Eala, Scilipoti is already competing in the women’s circuit with a 726 ranking. She showed her grit in eliminating Belgium’s Sofia Costoulas, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (6).
The 18-year-old Scilipoti is making the most of her last foray in the juniors and poses a challenge for Eala, the World No. 2 in girls and 513th in women’s.
Eala and Vandewinkle, seeded sixth, will take on Coleman-Sieg who booted out Petra Marcinko of Croatia and Natalia Szabanin of Hungary (6-4, 6-4).
Eala’s best finish in a Grand Slam was a seminal stint in the 2020 French Open.
But she’s looking for her third Grand Slams doubles crown following her success in the 2020 Australian Open with Priska Nugroho of Indonesia, and the 2021 French Open with Oksana Selekhmeteva of Russia.