Alex Eala returned to the junior competition scene with a bang after advancing to the second round of the US Open Girls' Singles in New York Sunday, Sept. 4.
The 10th-seeded Eala made short work of Canada’s Annabelle Xu, 6-3, 6-0, to jumpstart her Grand Slam Juniors title bid.
“Good start! Thank you to all who came to watch and cheer for me,” Eala posted on her social media.
The teen sensation needed only 77 minutes to dispose of her rival, and the victory set her up a next meeting with Slovakia’s Nina Vargova, who escaped American Mia Slama’s late rally, 6-0, 7-6 (5).
Eala and Vargova have never met in the junior scene, with the Filipina competing mostly in the pros for the past years.
Eala’s last junior competition was actually at the JA Plantation in the United States in December last year, where she finished in the second round.
But the 17-year-old boasts of two Grand Slam Junior Doubles titles – the 2020 Australian Open and the 2021 French Open.
Eala seeks the singles crown this time, with her best finish a quarterfinal appearance at last year’s US Open.