No rest for the weary as Alex Eala plunges back into action in the Nottingham Open qualifiers after her quarterfinals exit from the Ilkley Open.
Barely a day removed from a quarterfinal exit at the Ilkley Open, Alex Eala is right back on court as she begins her campaign in the Lexus Nottingham Open qualifiers on Saturday evening (Manila time).
Eala, seeded sixth in the qualifying draw of the WTA 250 event, faces a tough opening hurdle in Varvara Gracheva, a seven-time ITF singles champion who once climbed to world no. 39.
It will take two wins for the Filipina tennis ace to break into the main draw.
The quick turnaround comes after a hard-fought three-set loss to defending champion Rebecca Marino in Ilkley — a match where Eala won the first set, 6-1, but ultimately couldn’t hold off the Canadian’s comeback.
Despite the setback, the 20-year-old remains eager to string together a deep run on grass, a surface she’s steadily learning to navigate with poise and power.
Gracheva, who has spent much of her career playing at the WTA level, will bring experience and heavy-hitting to the matchup.
But Eala, currently world no. 77, has shown she can hang with the sport’s top-tier talent — and will now look to prove it again, on short rest and against a proven opponent.
(With reports from Luisa Morales)
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[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital with the help of AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]