Alex Eala dispatched Frenchwoman Amandine Hesse, 6-3, 6-2, in the women’s singles play round-of-32 of the W60 Nantes Tuesday in France.
Eala, rated No. 193 in the Women’s Tennis Association rankings, only needed one hour and 18 minutes to take care of business.
The Rafael Nadal Academy graduate is seeking her third title in 2023 and her fifth title overall after topping the W25 Yecla in Spain last June and the W25 Roehampton in August.
Eala also got two bronze medals in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China last September in the women’s singles and the mixed doubles with Francis Alcantara.
As of press time, she is playing against Zeynep Sonmez of Turkey in the round of 16.
Sonmez, seeded sixth in the tournament, earned a round of 16 slot after beating another French entry, Chloe Noel, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.
The 21-year-old Turkish bet is at No. 163 in the WTA rankings, making it Eala’s first challenge in the tournament.
Meanwhile, Eala exited early in the women’s doubles with Jessy Rompies of Indonesia after a 6-3, 3-6, 6-10 loss against the Russian pair of Ekaterina Reyngold and Ekaterina Maklakova in the round of 16 last Monday.
Eala has yet to win a doubles title in her career since she started playing professionally in 2020.
Her only trip to the final was at the W25 Platja D’Aro in 2021 in Spain where she and Russian netter Oksana Selekhmeteva lost to Lithuania’s Justina Mikulskyte and Oana Georgeta Simion of Romania, 3-6, 5-7.
