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Eala barges into main draw of Japan Open Tennis Championships

Sports

Eala barges into main draw of Japan Open Tennis Championships

By Kristel Satumbaga-Villar

At A Glance

Alex Eala survived Korean Park Sohyun, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5, to barge into the main draw of the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships 2023 in Osaka, Japan on Sunday, Sept. 10.

Alex Eala survived Korean Park Sohyun, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5, to barge into the main draw of the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships 2023 in Osaka, Japan on Sunday, Sept. 10.

alex eala 3 — Alex Eala wins two qualifying matches to make it to the main draw round. (File Photo/Alex Eala Facebook)

Eala bounced back from a first-set stumble and held her ground against her older rival to earn a shot in the WTA250 tournament.

Her victory came after dumping Mexico’s Fernanda Contreras Gomez, 6-3, 6-4, in the first qualifying round.

With the win, the 18-year-old Eala arranged a first-round meeting with hometown bet Himeno Sakatsume.

On paper, Eala boasts of a higher ranking at No. 195 compared to Sakatsume’s No. 199.

Sakatsume finished in the third round qualifying of the recent US Open and was coming off a second round loss in the W100 Tokyo last week.

Eala also competed in the W100 Tokyo, but had to go through two qualifying round matches before losing in the second round in the main draw.

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