By MARK REY MONTEJO
Filipina ace Alex Eala looks to extend her winning ways when she battles Chinese Xinyu Wang in Round of 64 of the WTA 1000 Italian Open in Rome Friday, May 8.
The battle between two of Asia’s top players is not only going to be a fierce but also an emotional one as Eala is eager to avenge her 7-5, 5-7, 4-6 semifinal loss in the WTA 250 ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand last January.
If she hurdles Wang, Eala faces a more dangerous opponent in either two-time Grand Slam singles champion and world No. 2 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan or Greek veteran Maria Sakkari.
But first, she has to keep in step with her Chinese rival, who is known for her brute strength and stamina.
Judging her opening round performance, Eala appears supremely confident.
“First win in Rome, Yay!” Eala wrote on her Instagram story moments after her 6-0, 3-6, 6-4 opening triumph against Frech.
The recent victory by Eala bettered her previous outings in her past competitions that saw her suffer several quick exits on her clay-court swing this year.
Her participation is part of the Eala’s buildup for the prestigious French Open (Roland Garros) slated May 24 to June 7 in Paris.
