Alex Eala made the grade for the main draw of the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships 2023 after a 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 win over South Korea’s Sohyun Park at the Utsubo Tennis Center in Osaka, Japan Sunday.
Eala, ranked No. 195 in the latest Women’s Tennis Association rankings, got the job done after two hours and 24 minutes of play against her No. 297-ranked foe in the second qualifying match to formally enter the tournament.
The 18-year-old graduate of the world-famous Rafael Nadal Academy previously defeated Fernanda Contreras of Mexico, 6-3, 6-4, last Saturday in the first qualifying match.
Up next for Eala is hometown bet Himeno Sakatsume in the round of 32.
Eala is looking to bounce back after a round of 16 exit at the W100 Tokyo women’s singles tournament last 6 September after a 6-4, 6-7, 2-6 loss to Australia’s Kimberly Birrell.
She has also been joining Asian tournaments in preparation for the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, which begins on 24 September at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre.
The last time Eala joined the national team was at the 31st Southeast Asian Games last year in Hanoi where she collected three bronze medals.
Eala will join the likes of boxers Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam and Eumir Marcial, pole vaulter EJ Obiena and weightlifters Hidilyn Diaz, Elreen Ando and Vanessa Sarno in the hopes of surpassing the 4-2-15 gold-silver-bronze medal tally in the 2018 Asiad in Indonesia.
