Coco Gauff gets to experience the Alex Eala fever firsthand when the two collide in the WTA 1000 Dubai Tennis Championships quarterfinals.
Coco Gauff knows what comes with squaring off against Alex Eala in the Dubai Tennis Championships quarterfinal Thursday, February 19.
Like Jasmine Paolini and Sorana Cirstea before her, the world No. 4 is aware she will be at a homecourt disadvantage against the rising Filipino star.
[RELATED STORY: Alex Eala takes on former doubles partner Coco Gauff in Dubai quarterfinal]
“Even though it’s technically not her home… she has a crazy following, so it is her home crowd, I would consider it that,” she said.
Buoyed by the passionate Filipino crowd, Eala first edged Paolini, ranked eighth, before breezing through Cirstea to earn the quarterfinal spot.
Although she has yet to play in such atmosphere at least in Dubai, the reigning French Open champion is unfazed.
She only expects a tough outing against her former doubles partner.
“I’ve never played with Alex [Eala] at any level. I’ve practiced with her a few times,” said Gauff, who played with Eala in Rome last year.
“I’m sure she’s gonna play some good tennis tonight with the crowd support behind her.”
The match is slated 11 pm at Center Court, with Eala’s throng of supporters expected to show up anew in hopes of making a difference against another Top 10 netter.
“I’ve played this tournament many years, and I’ve never seen the stands as full as they are, especially in the early rounds. So, yeah, I’m happy that she’s able to bring a new demographic to the sport,” said Gauff.
The match will be aired live on Premier Sports 2 channel on Cignal TV. It will also be livestreamed via the Cignal Play app.
Like most sportswriters, Jan Ballesteros once dreamed of becoming a professional hooper. But he learned the hard way that it’s not for everyone.
He continues to be involved in the sport he loves, but this time as a member of the PBA Press Corps. Aside from primarily covering the PBA, he is also assigned to cover Gilas Pilipinas.