MANILA, Philippines – Filipina tennis star Alex Eala prevailed in two qualifying matches at the end of 2024 to make the main draw of the WTA 125 Workday Canberra International as a great, early start to her 2025 season.
The 19-year-old had to go through the wringer to get past 17-year-old Australian wildcard Alana Subasic, 5-7, 6-0, 6-1, in the final qualifying match on Monday, December 30, of the $200,000 event held at the Canberra Tennis Centre.
Now at a career best year-end ranking of 148th in the world, Eala found herself in a tight battle against a younger player at just 1079th in the world rankings.
Seeded first in the qualifiers, the Filipina standout was all business in the third set where she blasted Subasic from the baseline to the net in dominant fashion, 6-1, to overcome her one-set deficit.
Eala actually got off to a solid start, erecting a 4-2 lead in the first set, but was immediately dissipated from Subasic’s relentless attacks that not only overhauled Eala’s built lead, but also helped her win five of the next six games to gain a one-set advantage.
Subasic was seeking a follow-up to her impressive opening-round showing against world no. 193 Giorgia Pedone of Italy, 6-2, 6-3, but any hopes for another upset were immediately quashed when Eala came back strong in the second set to blank the Aussie youngster, 6-0, in just 23 minutes.
On Sunday, December 29, Eala jumpstarted her campaign in Canberra with a clinical 6-1, 6-2 triumph over another Australian, 20-year-old Catherine Aulia, in the first round of the qualifiers.
Eala will also be playing in the doubles main draw with fellow 19-year-old Sayaka Ishi of Japan. Eala and Ishi will see action on Tuesday against Elsa Jacquemot of France and Marina Stakusic of Canada.
The 2022 US Open girls singles champion, Eala is using the Canberra tournament as part of her preparation for the 2025 Australian Open qualifiers on January 6 to 11, and attempting to become the first Filipina to qualify for the main draw of a Grand Slam event.
Eala came close twice to making the main draw in 2024, falling in the last qualifying round of both the French Open and Wimbledon. She has not gone past the opening round in her two previous tries at the Australian Open qualifiers. – Rappler.com
