Alex Eala tangles with Roland Garros fourth-rounder Hailey Baptiste in the second round of the Eastbourne Open qualifiers.
Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala is one win away from securing a coveted main draw slot at the Eastbourne Open as she takes on world no. 56 Hailey Baptiste in the final round of qualifying.
Eala, the eighth seed in the qualifiers, faces a formidable challenge in top-seeded Baptiste, who recently surged to a career high by reaching the fourth round at Roland Garros.
The 22-year-old American has built a solid resume with four ITF singles titles and three WTA trophies in doubles—including a WTA Tour title—but is still in search of her first singles championship at the WTA level.
For Eala, a win would mark another step forward in her grass-court campaign ahead of Wimbledon, as she continues her quest to break into the sport’s elite.
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The 20-year-old is hoping to ride her recent momentum and find her rhythm against the athletic and aggressive Baptiste, who has been one of the breakout players of the 2025 season.
The winner of their clash will book a spot in the main draw of the WTA 250 event, a crucial stage for players fine-tuning their game before the prestigious Wimbledon Championships. The match is projected to start 6:00 p.m. Sunday (PH time).
(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.]