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Alex Eala impresses in pro tourney, beats eighth seed Francesca Jones in opener

Sports

Alex Eala impresses in pro tourney, beats eighth seed Francesca Jones in opener

By Kristel Satumbaga-Villar

Photo from Rafa Nadal Academy

Teen sensation Alex Eala made her presence felt in her first $25,000 women’s tournament on Wednesday after an opening-round upset victory at the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in Spain.

The 15-year-old Australian Open Juniors doubles champion shocked eighth seed Francesca Jones of Great Britain, 6-3, 7-6 (3), in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Tennis Tour event.

It was a stunning triumph for Eala against Jones, who is five years her senior and is currently ranked No. 241 in the Women’s Tennis Association.

Eala entered the tournament through a wildcard.

With the morale-boosting win, Eala hopes to extend her dominance in her second-round meeting with Belgian qualifier Lara Salden, a 6-3, 7-6 (4) winner over Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.

Salden, 21, is ranked No. 246 in the WTA and is coming off a title win at the $15,000 Lousada Indoor Open in Portugal two weeks ago.

Eala, for her part, was coming off a first-round win at the $15,000 Castellon event early this month, which was suspended midway the tournament due to bad weather.

Related Tags

Rafa Nadal Academy Alex Eala

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