By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Alex Eala is expected to make the most out of the remaining days before she sees action again in the Cincinnati Open in Ohio which fires off on Thursday, Aug. 13.
Barring any changes and last-minute pullouts, the 21-year-old is projected to be seeded 17th based on the latest player list from the organizers.
According to tournament organizers, the singles draw features 96 players, with the 32 seeded players receiving first-round byes.
All top 10 players except for world No. 6 Karolina Muchova are competing in the said WTA 1000 tournament, which serves as a prelude to the US Open slated late this month.
Muchova, meanwhile, withdrew from the tournament after undergoing an unspecified surgery shortly following her runner-up finish at the Wimbledon Championships.
Other notable names who can’t compete as they are still recovering from various injuries are 2025 finalist Jasmine Paolini, Hailey Baptiste and Victoria Mboko.
The projected top 10 seeded players are world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, Australian Open winner Elena Rybakina, 2024 US Open finalist Jessica Pegula, two-time Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff, French Open champion Mirra Andreeva, Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, six-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek, two-time Grand Slam finalist Amanda Anisimova, 2020 Tokyo Games bronze medalist Elina Svitolina and Wimbledon semifinalist Marta Kostyuk.
Currently ranked No. 20 in the world, Eala is expected to ride the momentum of her breakthrough WTA Tour title at the Mubadala DC Open last week, followed by an imnpressive fourth-round finish at the WTA 1000 National Bank Open where she lost to seasoned player Belinda Bencic, 4-6, 0-6.
Fatigue may have caught up with Eala after she had only a few days to recover between the DC Open and the National Bank Open, following a rain-delayed final against Jessica Pegula.
