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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Alex Eala takes on Russian veteran qualifier to kick off Madrid Open campaign

Alex Eala takes on Russian veteran qualifier to kick off Madrid Open campaign

Published Apr 22, 2026 01:21 pm

At A Glance

  • Match time is set for no earlier than 7 p.m., with unseeded Eala aiming to come out strong and build momentum in her clay campaign after back-to-back early exits in her last two tournaments.
Alex Eala opens her campaign at the Mutua Madrid Open with a first-round clash with qualifier Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on Wednesday night, April 22 (Philippine time).
Match time is set for no earlier than 7 p.m., with unseeded Eala aiming to come out strong and build momentum in her clay campaign after back-to-back early exits in her last two tournaments.
It will be the first meeting between the Filipina ace and the 34-year-old Russian veteran, who, despite a current singles ranking of No. 116, brings a wealth of experience particularly on the Grand Slam stage.
A finalist at the 2011 French Open, Pavlyuchenkova has also reached the quarterfinals four times at the Australian Open, twice at Wimbledon, and once at the US Open. She represented Russia at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and captured the mixed doubles gold medal alongside Andrey Rublev.
A win for Eala would set up a second-round clash with 19th seed Elise Mertens, who received a first-round bye.

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