After a string of early exits, Filipina tennis star Alex Eala is determined to turn things around, beginning with an early showdown against Katie Boulter at the Hong Kong Open.
Alex Eala is hoping her final tournament of the year will finally put an end to her late-season rough patch.
The 20-year-old Filipina tennis ace is set to face British star Katie Boulter in a Round of 32 clash at the 2025 Hong Kong Open on Tuesday, October 28.
Serving time is at 7:40 p.m. (PH time).
It will be their first career meeting, with a place in the Round of 16 at stake as the winner will face either Talia Gibson or third seed Victoria Mboko.
Eala enters Hong Kong determined to snap a string of disappointing early exits that have tested her late-season form.
After reaching the quarterfinals of the Suzhou Open earlier this month, the lefty has endured first-round defeats in Wuhan, Japan and Guangzhou.
[ALSO READ: Alex Eala suffers three-set heartbreaker vs Liu in Guangzhou Open singles]
Despite those setbacks, Eala climbed to a new career-high of no. 51 as the road to crack the world's top 50 is closer than ever.
[ALSO READ: Alex Eala nears world top 50 after hitting new career-high in WTA rankings]
However, standing in her way is Boulter, a former world no. 23 and three-time WTA titleholder.
The 29-year-old won back-to-back Nottingham Open championships in 2023 and 2024 and claimed the San Diego Open title earlier this year.
Boulter has also made consistent runs in the Grand Slam circuit, notably reaching the Round of 32 at Wimbledon in both 2022 and 2023.
(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.]