By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Alex Eala hopes to be tip-top shape when the clay-court season begins as she will be up against a stacked field in her first clay tournament at the Upper Austria Ladies Linz on April 6 to 12.
The WTA 500 tournamen has so far attracted former champions Ekaterina Alexandranova and Jelena Ostapenko, as well as 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu, two-time Grand Slam winner Barbora Krejcikova, and two-time Grand Slam finalist Karolina Pliskova.
Seasoned players and Grand Slam regulars Katie Boulter, Sorana Cirstea and Emma Navarro are also entered in the event.
This would be the first time that Eala is competing in the Linz tournament, having gained enough rankings for such high-rated events.
While the Filipina’s ranking has plunged No. 45 in this week’s rankings, she hopes to regain her bearings and boost her rankings to return to Top 30.
After Linz, she is scheduled to compete in Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany on April 13 to 19 — another WTA 500 event — before battling the prestigious WTA1000 Mutua Madrid Open on April 21 to May 3.
