No rest for the weary as Alex Eala takes on a familiar foe in Poland’s Magda Linette for a spot in the Round of 16 of the 2025 Nottingham Open.
The legs are heavy. The body aches. But Alex Eala isn’t slowing down.
Playing her third match in as many days, the 20-year-old Filipina star finds herself exactly where she wants to be: back in a WTA main draw and ready to settle some unfinished business.
Eala takes on world no. 31 Magda Linette of Poland in the Round of 32 of the Nottingham Open on Tuesday, June 17 (PH time), at 6:00 p.m.
It will be the first time Eala meets Linette since their lone previous encounter at the 2024 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, where the Polish veteran handed the Filipina a 7-6, 6-1 defeat.
But Eala, now ranked no. 77, arrives in Nottingham carrying the momentum of two gutsy qualifying wins — including a 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-3 victory over Romania’s Anca Todoni.
[ALSO READ: Alex Eala barges into main draw of Nottingham Open after three-set win vs Todoni]
It took two hours and 20 minutes of high-intensity tennis and all the resolve Eala could muster, but she stayed composed and served out the final game to secure a place in the main draw.
A day earlier, Eala also fought through a two-hour battle against France’s Varvara Gracheva, prevailing via a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 decision. She recovered from a second-set stumble and outgunned Gracheva with 49 receiving points to her opponent’s 29.
[ALSO READ: Alex Eala hurdles former world no. 39 Varvara Gracheva in Nottingham Open qualifiers]
Linette — a three-time WTA titlist and a former world no. 19 — presents an entirely different challenge. She won the Prague Open last year and is known for her ability to neutralize aggressive young opponents.
A win for Eala would set up a Round of 16 showdown against either British wild card Mingge Xu or American Katie Volynets.
The Nottingham Open features a tough field headlined by defending champion and eight seed Katie Boulter, world no. 22 Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil, and 2021 U.S. Open finalist Leylah Fernandez of Canada, among others.
(With reports from Pao Ambat)
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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.]