ALEX M. Eala netted a ticket to the main draw of the W60 Grenoble in France after carving out a gritty 4-6, 6-4, 10-4 victory over Italy’s Stefania Rubini in the finals of the qualifying round.
Up against a 29-year-old foe, the 16-year-old Filipina wunderkind relied on fresher legs and ran away in the rubber match after shaking off a sluggish start in the duel that lasted almost two hours.
She broke serve in the fifth game of the decider after a back-and-forth rally to ignite a five-game spree for a comfortable 7-2 cushion that pretty much sealed her victory heading home.
Ms. Eala, who bested France’s Thanh Lan Truong in the first qualifying phase, collides next against Joanne Zuger of Switzerland in the first round of the main tilt for a chance at her first deep run this year.
She absorbed quick exits in her first two tournaments this season, a qualifying loss in the W25 Manacor first leg and a first-round defeat in the third leg last week. She did not participate in the second leg due to illness.
Against the 21-year-old Ms. Zuger boasting a solid resume though, Ms. Eala is in for a serious business.
The Swiss ace is currently No. 264 in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings and holder of two pro titles as an automatic entry in the 32-strong W60 Grenoble main draw.
Ms. Eala, who is the world junior No. 12 player, is at No. 587 of the WTA list with only one championship so far. — John Bryan Ulanday
