Alex Eala entered the Round of 16 following a 6-4, 6-3 win over hometown bet Natsumi Kawaguchi in the women’s singles event of the W100 Tokyo at the Ariake Tennis Center in Tokyo last Tuesday.
Eala, a graduate of the world-famous Rafael Nadal Academy, needed two hours to claim victory over her Japanese foe and advance to the Last 16.
The 18-year-old prodigy defeated Finland’s Anastasia Kulikova, 6-2, 6-3, in the second qualifying match last Monday to qualify for the main draw.
The three-time Southeast Asian Games bronze medalist is looking to clinch her fifth professional singles title before playing in the 19th Asian Games set in Hangzhou from 23 September to 8 October.
On the same note, Eala teamed up with Kawaguchi to post a 6-5, 7-6 win over Luksika Kumkhum and Peangtarn Pilpuech of Thailand to make it to the Round of 16 of the women’s doubles event.
With that, Filipino-Japanese pair will face the third-seed pair of Natela Dzalamitze and Sofya Lansere of Georgia in the quarterfinal.
