By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Alex Eala clipped Russian Iryna Shymanovic, 6-0, 6-2, to barge into the main draw round of the W70 Trvana International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournament in Slovakia on Tuesday, March 5.
The 18-year-old top Filipina tennis player outclassed her more experienced foe by holding her serve throughout to earn a shot at the title in this $75,000 ITF event.
However, Eala is in for a tough match as she faces seventh seed Tereza Martincova of the Czech Republic in the first round of the 32-player field.
Martincova, 29, boasts of a higher ranking at No. 150, but has yet to win a title in the ITF pro circuit since her triumph in the W25 Essen in 2019.
The Czech, however, had regular appearances in the Grand Slams, making it as far as the Round of 32 in the 2021 Wimbledon.
Eala, meanwhile, is looking at further improving her Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings after posting her career-high No. 176 this week.
She has yet to win a title this year after clinching two crowns in 2023.
