ALEX M. Eala kicked off her campaign for a third professional title bid on a high note with big wins in both the singles and doubles tilts to advance in the W25 Corroios-Seixal Ladies Open on Thursday in Portugal.
Ms. Eala, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) No. 337, hacked out a 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 victory over Spanish Eva Guerrero Alvarez, WTA. No. 372, in the singles Round of 32 while gaining a first-round walkover in the doubles play with partner Lizette Cabrera of Australia.
The 17-year-old Filipina ace was to play Australian Alexandra Bozovic, WTA No. 466, in the second round last night.
Also scheduled at press time was the crucial quarterfinal duel of Mses. Eala and Cabrera against the top-seeded duo of Lithuania’s Justina Mikulskyte and Hong Kong’s Hong Yi Cody Wong for a Final Four ticket.
The Filipina-Australian duo marched on to the next round right away with a walkover over Brazil’s Mariana Galvão Borges and Portugal’s Maria Beatriz Teixeira in the first round.
Ms. Eala is coming off a pair of foiled outings in W60 Madrid and W25 Palma del Rio in Spain last month with hopes of finally getting over the hump this time.
She last won a title in the W25 Chiang Rai in Thailand last April for her second trophy after ruling the W15 Manacor in Spain last year. — John Bryan Ulanday