Eala boosts stock with strong 2020 Australian Open outing
By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
FILIPINO teen tennis sensation Alexandra Eala boosted her stock in the juniors circuit after a productive and successful outing in the 2020 Australian Open, capped by winning the girls doubles title with Indonesian partner Priska Nugroho on Friday.
In the latest ranking of the International Tennis Federation (ITF), Eala, 14, climbed to number eight in the girls’ rankings, her highest to date.
Eala and Nugroho defeated the European tandem of Matilda Mutavdzic of Britain and Ziva Falkner of Slovenia, 6-1 6-2, in Melbourne.
It was a culmination of an impressive roll for the doubles tandem where they more than proved that they belonged in the tournament, overcoming each hurdle placed in front of them in convincing fashion.
Eala also made a strong push in the singles competition, reaching the third round before losing to Hong Yi Cody Wong of Hong Kong, 6-1 6-3.
Entering 2020, Eala, a product of the Rafa Nadal Academy, was on a steady ascent.
She finished the 2018 season ranked 248th in the world, before jumping to a then-career best 13th spot last October.
Eala then pressed further to the top 10 after winning the title in the Orange Bowl doubles tournament in Florida last December to come within a spot of breaking the elite Top 10 best players of the world.
Prior to the 2020 Australian Open, she cracked the top 10 at number nine to earn a spot in the main draw of the tournament.
With the win, Eala, a Globe Telecom ambassador, made history, becoming the first Filipina to win a grand slam title be it in juniors or seniors play.
It also sustained her push in top-tier competitions after debuting in a grand slam at the US Open last year.
Eala joined Francis Casey Alcantara as the Filipinos to win at the Australian Open.
Alcantara partnered with Hsieh Chen-peng of Chinese Taipei in 2009 to win the boys doubles title.
Eala thanked tennis partner Nugroho after for being a solid tandem in the tournament even as she vowed to continue working as her career moves on.
