Eala opens campaign vs 2023 Wimbledon champ

(UPDATE) FILIPINO tennis hotshot Alex Eala faces a tough test as she opens her National Bank Open campaign at the IGA Stadium in Montreal, Canada, on Sunday.

Alex Eala AP FILE PHOTO

Ranked 69th in the world, Eala battles 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova of Czech Republic in the round of 128 at 10 p.m. (barring any delay) here in Manila.

Currently 65th in the rankings, Vondrousova reached a career-best 6th in September 2023 and still has the distinction of being a 3-time WTA champ.

The 26-year-old also bagged a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics back in 2021.

Like Eala, Vondrousova last saw action at the Wimbledon earlier this month when she reached the second round, falling to 2021 US Open champ Emma Raducanu of United Kingdom, 3-6, 3-6.

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On other hand, Eala battled then defending Wimbledon champ Barbora Krejcíkova in the first round where she bowed in three sets, 6-3, 2-6, 1-6.

The 5-foot-9 lefty netter still made history as the first Filipina to have played on the grass major, following the other historic achievement she made which was the first Philippine player to have reached a WTA final at the Eastbourne Open.

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If Eala gets past Vondrousova, the 20-year-old will forge a rematch against world No. 27 Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine in the round of 64.

Kostyuk, who earned a bye in the round of 128, beat Eala at the Italian Open first round last May, 0-6, 1-6.

Reaching a career-high rank 56th, Eala is using this Montreal tiff as preparation for the US Open in New York set from Aug. 24 to Sept. 7.

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