By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
So far, so good for Alex Eala.
Eala, the reigning US Open juniors champion, survived a first-set scare and bested Canadian Katherine Sebov, 7-6 (5), 6-2, to barge in the quarterfinals of the W80 Rancho Santa Fe International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournament in California Thursday, Oct. 6 (Friday in Manila).
The 17-year-old Eala dug deep into her bag of tricks in outlasting Sebov in the tiebreak before dominating the second frame to arrange a quarterfinal meeting with Mexico’s Marcela Zacarias.
The unseeded Zacarias edged qualifier Hina Inoue of the United States, 6-1, 7-5.
The princess of PH sports, however, will have her hands full against the 28-year-old Zacarias, who has a higher ITF ranking at No. 229 and boasts of 16 ITF singles titles.
But the Mexican hasn’t won a crown since her win in the W15 Cancun in Mexico in 2019.
Zacarias is also coming off a quarters finish at the W60 Templeton in California last week where Eala failed to get past the second round.
Eala hurdled two qualifying matches to gain entry into the main draw.
Eala is looking good so far as she dropped only a set in her four matches – against American Dalayna Hewitt in the first round.
