Alex Eala continued her rampage at the US Open Girls Singles by advancing to the third round Monday, Sept. 5 (Tuesday in Manila) in New York.
The 10th-seeded Eala dispatched Natalia Vargova of Slovakia, 6-2, 6-3, in a match that lasted 75 minutes to book a meeting with eighth seed Taylah Preston of Australia.
“Solid win today,” Eala wrote on her social media.
Unlike Eala who breezed to the next phase, Preston needed an extra set in edging Angella Okutoyi of Kenya, 6-2, 6-7 (4), 6-1.
Eala was all business early in the match after breaking Vargova’s serve twice for a 3-1 lead before the Slovakian held serve to close the deficit at 3-2.
But Eala was quick to regain power, clinching the next three frames to dominate the opening frame.
Vargova briefly challenged Eala in the second by tying the score at 3-all following a 3-0 deficit, but the Filipina teen sensation did not waste time dictating the pace and won the next three games for the match win.
While Preston campaigns in the pros like Eala, the 16-year-old Australian boasts of an International Tennis Federation (ITF) juniors ranking of No. 14.
She currently has three junior titles.
Meanwhile, Eala also searches for a third Grand Slam Junior Doubles title when she starts her campaign with partner Mirra Andreeva.
Eala and Andreeva are seeded fourth in the field and will face American pair Iva Jovic and Shannon Lam.
Eala’s previous two Grand Slam Junior Doubles crowns came in the 2020 Australian Open with Indonesian partner Priska Madelyn Nugroho and in the 2021 French Open with Russian Oksana Selekhmeteva.