By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
World No. 10 Amanda Anisimova wouldn’t be surprised to see a packed crowd rooting mostly for third-round opponent Alex Eala on her home turf when they clash in the Cincinnati Open on Tuesday, Aug. 18 (Philippine time).
The ninth seeded American is fully aware of Eala’s growing fan base wherever she plays and expects a lively atmosphere when she faces the Filipina rising star for the first time on the WTA Tour no earlier than 8:30 a.m. (PH time).
“I haven’t played her (Eala) before. She’s been having such an incredible season, incredible year. Very great player with a lot of tennis fans,” the 24-year-old Anisimova said.
“I’m really looking forward to that. I know that it’s probably gonna be a very packed stadium. I’m sure it will be really fun,” she said.
As expected, Eala’s second-round match against Elena-Gabriela Ruse drew a big crowd, with Filipino fans waving Philippine flags and posters. The match, however, ended prematurely after the Romanian retired due to a right foot injury while the Filipina was leading 6-1, 3-0.
But Anisimova is a veteran on the court, and is used to playing in big stages like the Grand Slams where she was a two-time finalist.
The American is banking on a dominant 6-2, 6-3 win and is in search of a fifth career title.
Eala, for her part, is riding the momentum of a breakthrough WTA title victory at the Mubadala DC Open two weeks ago.
