Alex Eala showcased her dominance on Monday, September 9, defeating Samantha Murray Sharan of Great Britain, 6-4, 6-2, to secure a spot in the main draw of the Guadalajara Open in Mexico.
Eala, the eighth seed in the qualifiers, capitalized on Murray's inconsistent serve and delivered impressive shots to earn her place in the 32-player field of the WTA 500 event. Despite dropping her own serve three times, the 19-year-old Filipina tennis sensation broke Murray's serve six times.
With this victory, Eala will face sixth seed Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic in the first round. Bouzkova, 26, is currently ranked No. 45 in the world and has a career-high ranking of No. 24. She is a regular Grand Slam participant, reaching the quarterfinals of Wimbledon in 2022.
In doubles, Bouzkova is ranked No. 45 and has reached the semifinals of Wimbledon in 2023. Eala, on the other hand, is currently ranked No. 147 in singles and is aiming for her first WTA title.
However, the main draw features a strong field of players, including 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, 2017 US Open winner Sloane Stephens, former world No. 1 and two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, two-time French Open winner Caroline Garcia, and 2022 Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins.
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