By NIKOLE JAVIER
Alex Eala turned back Australian Maddison Inglis, 6-3, 2-6, 6-1, in the first round of the qualifying of the US Open tournament on Wednesday, Aug. 21 (Manila time).
The Filipina tennis star recovered from a second-set stumble as she bewildered her rival in the third with powerful shots.
The win set up Eala for a meeting with Spanish Nuria Parrizas-Diaz on Thursday, Aug. 22, at 4 a.m.
Eala needs to win two more matches to advance to the main draw.
She almost made it in the French Open and Wimbledon but was unsuccessful in the third round.
Eala is no stranger to success in the US Open as she has won the title in 2022 as a junior player to become the first Filipina to ever accomplish the feat at 17.
The 19-year-old Filipina is coming off back-to-back quarterfinal appearances in two International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournaments in the United States.
