Alex Eala continued to ride on a hot momentum as she advanced to the 3rd round of the women’s $60,000 tournament in Bellinzona, Switzerland on Wednesday, April 7 (Thursday, April 8, Manila time). 

In a rematch with Laura-loana Paar, who she defeated in the opening round of the Trophee de la Ville in Grenoble, France, Eala staged a come-from-behind 6-7(6), 6-1, 6-0, win over the 32-year-old Romanian. 

Eala came out with a strong 3-1 start to the match, and was on her way to take the opening set as she went up 5-3. But Paar took 3 straight games that extended the set, which the Romanian eventually won. 

But the Rafael Nadal Academy scholar was unshaken in the following rounds as she limited Paar to only one game in the 2nd and 3rd sets.

Eala will now face home bet Simona Waltert again. They hold a 1-1 head-to-head record. 

The 15-year-old Filipina swept her Swiss foe in the women’s $25,000 tournament hosted by the Rafael Nadal Academy last March, but Waltert avenged her loss the following week. 

Eala was coming off her maiden WTA 1000 tournament in the 2021 Miami Open, where she was booted out in the opening round of the qualifiers.

The teen tennis sensation was able to qualify for the main draw of the Bellinzona event via the junior exempt program.

This is where the top-ranked juniors players are allotted a number of pro tournament spots within the year.

Since Eala finished with a yearend world No. 3 ranking in the juniors circuit, she is allowed to join up to three $25,000 and two $60,000 events this year.

After opening 2021 with a maiden pro title, Eala has joined two $25,000 tournaments. Eala’s semifinal finish in the 2020 French Open girls singles event highlighted her clay season campaign last year, which came after she won the 2020 Australian Open juniors doubles title with Indonesian partner Priska Nugroho. – Rappler.com