By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Alex Eala routed Joanne Zuger of Switzerland, 6-4, 6-1, and advance to the second round of the W60 Grenoble tournament in France Tuesday.
Eala, who had to go through two qualifying matches to make it to the main draw, showed grit and resolve against her higher-ranked rival to prevail and set up a meeting with fourth seed Frenchwoman Chloe Paquet.
Paquet demolished Latvian qualifier Kamilla Bartone, 6-1, 6-0.
Ranked No. 124 in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), the 27-year-old Paquet is gunning for her first title since winning the W80 Poitiers in France last October.
She was coming off a first-round qualifying round loss at the 2022 Australian Open last month.
Overall, Paquet has six women’s singles titles including four in 2021.
Eala, meanwhile, is taking it one match at a time in seeking her second pro title.
“Glad to have made it through the qualifying rounds and won my first round in this W60 Grenoble ITF Pro Tournament. I can feel your support from across the globe!” Eala wrote on her Facebook account following her triumph over Zuger.
The event is Eala’s third this season.
