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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Eala eyes revenge vs Ruse in Cincinnati clash

Eala eyes revenge vs Ruse in Cincinnati clash

Published Aug 14, 2026 01:42 pm

At A Glance

  • The Filipina ace received a first-round bye after being seeded 17th in the WTA 1000 tournament and now takes on the 28-year-old unseeded Romanian for the second time in the Tour.
Alex Eala. (File Photo Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)
Alex Eala. (File Photo Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)
Alex Eala gears up for another tough battle as she faces familiar opponent Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the second round of the Cincinnati Open in Ohio on Saturday, Aug. 15 (Philippine time).
The Filipina ace received a first-round bye after being seeded 17th in the WTA 1000 tournament and now takes on the 28-year-old unseeded Romanian for the second time in the Tour.
Their first meeting came in the third qualifying round of the 2024 Australian Open, when Eala, then ranked No. 185, fell to the higher-ranked Ruse, who was No. 131 at the time, in three sets.
Much has changed since then. Eala has climbed to a career-high No. 21 in the world, while Ruse currently sits at No. 77.
Ruse opened her Cincinnati campaign in dominant fashion, clobbering Magda Linette, 6-0, 6-3. The Romanian, who ranked as high as No. 55, is also a proven doubles player, having reached the Grand Slam semifinals twice.
Eala, meanwhile, enters the tournament boosting with confidence after a brief respite following a grueling two-week stretch. She captured her breakthrough WTA Tour singles title at the Mubadala DC Open in Washington DC before finishing in the Round of 16 at the National Bank Open in Toronto, Canada.
The 21-year-old Filipina is expected to carry that momentum into Cincinnati as she continues her buildup toward the US Open later this month.
With a tougher test awaiting in Ruse, Eala will have another chance to measure her progress against an opponent she has already faced -- and one she is now meeting from a very different position in the rankings.
A potential showdown against reigning Wimbledon champion and sixth seed Linda Noskova also awaits the Filipina deeper into the draw, while other notable players in her bracket are two-time Grand Slam finalist Amanda Anisimova, No. 27 Clara Tauson, No. 15 Sorana Cirstea and third seed Jessica Pegula.

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