World no. 40 Alex Eala gets a spot in the main draw of the Dubai Tennis Championships, foregoing the qualifying round for her second WTA 1000 tournament of the season.
Alex Eala will be going straight to the main draw of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, tournament organizers said on Wednesday.
Eala, currently the WTA world no. 40, was initially listed for the qualifying draw for the WTA 1000 tournament starting on Sunday, February 15.
However, organizers decided to give the Filipina ace entry into the main tournament, where 18 of the world's top-20 players will compete.
Eala is set to make her first appearance in the Dubai Tennis Championships, which is already in its 26th edition.
The Rafa Nadal Academy scholar will be eager to bounce back after a stinging loss against Tereza Valentova, 7-6(6), 6-1, in the Qatar Open earlier this week.
[RELATED: Alex Eala falls flat vs Tereza Valentova, gets early boot in Qatar Open]
The Dubai Tennis Championships field include world no. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, newly-crowned Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina, and defending champion Mirra Andreeva.
The qualifying draw will start on Friday, February 13.
—
Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.