Alex Eala in action in the W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz. –ALEX EALA FACEBOOK
MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala opened her singles campaign in the W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz with a 6-4, 6-2 win over qualifier Lian Tran of the Netherlands on Wednesday (Manila time) in Spain.
Eala dominated the opening set with a 5-2 start and never looked back to draw first blood. She started slow in the second frame, trailing 1-2 but won five straight games to end her first-round game in just 70 minutes.
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The 19-year-old Filipino battles home bet Lucia Cortez Llorca of Spain in the second round on Thursday evening.
Eala recently made her career-high Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) world ranking from No.162 to 155.
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Eala is also competing in the doubles with French partner Estelle Cascino, facing Victoria Bervid of Czechia and Laura Mair of Italy in the quarterfinal early Friday.
The Filipino-French tandem beat home bets and sisters Carolina and Jimena Gomez, 6-3, 6-2, in the first round.
Eala won a doubles title with her French partner Cascino in the W75 Croissy-Beaubourg in France last March.