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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Alex Eala begins claycourt campaign in Portugal, partners with former victim in doubles

Alex Eala begins claycourt campaign in Portugal, partners with former victim in doubles

Published Apr 14, 2025 05:13 am

At A Glance

  • Eala is also scheduled to compete in the doubles, where she is partnered with American Katie Volynets -- the same rival that she beat in the opening round of the Miami Open last month.

Eyes are now on teen sensation Alex Eala as she begins her claycourt season campaign this week at the Oeiras Ladies Open in Portugal.

The 19-year-old Filipina tennis standout is actually seeded No. 1 in the Women’s Tennis Federation (WTA12) tournament with her current singles ranking No. 72 -- one notch higher than last week despite being inactive since late last month.

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File Photo/ Alex Eala Facebook

She plays unseeded Anouk Koevermans of the Netherlands late Monday afternoon, April 14, where she hopes to live up to expectations following an impressive semifinal run at the Miami Open, a WTA1000 event rated one rung below the Grand Slams.

The match will be shown live on Premier Sports 2. PS 2 is available through Blast TV and STVP.

In Miami, she made heads turn and stunned former Grand Slam champions in Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek.

Eala is also scheduled to compete in the doubles, where she is partnered with American Katie Volynets -- the same rival that she beat in the opening round of the Miami Open last month.

The unseeded pair, however, will have their hands full in the first round as they are up against American fourth seed Carmen Corley and Christina Rosca on Tuesday, April 15.

But Eala’s immediate focus is on her singles match in the meantime, with Koevermans gunning for an upset.

Though older than Eala by two years, Koevermans is ranked No. 182 with two International Tennis Federation (ITF) singles rankings. Eala, for her part, has five ITF singles and two doubles crowns, and is in search of her breakthrough WTA title.

The tournament hopes to boost Eala’s preparations for the claycourt season particularly the French Open, where she is expected to get her first outright main draw appearance.

 

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