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Eala earns wildcard berth in star-studded Abu Dhabi Open

Sports

Eala earns wildcard berth in star-studded Abu Dhabi Open

By Kristel Satumbaga-Villar

At A Glance

Alex Eala hopes to carry the momentum of her recent title feat when she competes in the star-studded Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open slated Feb. 5 to 11 at the International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City in United Arab Emirates.

Alex Eala hopes to carry the momentum of her recent title feat when she competes in the star-studded Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open slated Feb. 5 to 11 at the International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City in United Arab Emirates.

Alex Eala1 — Alex Eala will be competing against some of the world's best in the prestigious Abu Dhabi Open. (File Photo)

The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 500 event is an acid test for the 18-year-old Eala, who earned a wildcard berth along with notable players like former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka and former US Open champion Emma Raducanu.

The tournament lures some of the best players that include world No. 6 Ons Jabeur, 2022 Wimbledon champion and world No. 5 Elena Rybakina, world No. 10 Jelena Ostapenko, world No. 11 Beatriz Haddad Maia.

Eala is coming off a successful stint at the W50 Pune in India over the weekend where she captured her first pro doubles title with Latvian partner Darja Semenistaja with a 7-6 (8), 6-3 upset victory over top seeds Fanny Stollar of Hungary and Naiktha Bains of Great Britain.

This would be Eala’s second WTA tournament after competing in the WTA125 Workday Canberra International in Australia at the start of the year, where she lost her first qualifying match against Switzerland’s Celine Naef, 6-4, 7-5.

But Eala hopes to make heads turn.

“Hi everyone. It’s Alex Eala here. I can’t wait to play in front of all the fans at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open,” said Eala in a recorded video message posted on the tournament’s social media page.

“Mga kababayan, bili na kayo ng tickets. Magkita-kita tayo don,” she added.

Aside from her first pro doubles crown, Eala currently has four International Tennis Federation (ITF) singles including two last year.

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