Filipina tennister Alex Eala welcomed the new year on a winning note as she reached the quarterfinals in her first competition of the new season.
MANILA, Philippines — The new year began optimistically enough for Filipina tennis sensation Alex Eala as she went through to the quarterfinals of the WTA 125 Canberra International in Australia on the first day of 2025 on Wednesday.
Eala, who got into the main draw through the qualifiers, made light work of Dutch hitter Arianne Hartono, 6-3, 6-3, in their Round of 16 matchup as the 19-year-old moved on the cusp of her first-ever semifinal in a WTA competition.
Though holding multiple titles in the ITF circuit, Eala’s best result in a WTA tournament has only been the quarterfinals, which she last achieved back in June 2023 when she battled Italy’s Sara Errani in the quarters of the Veneto Open in Italy.
There, she could not complete a second set comeback after a slow start, losing to Errani, 6-0, 7-6(3).
Against Hartono, Eala once again banked on breaking her opponent’s serve as she ended up winning five out of the seven break points in the match.
She also held her ground on her service game as well, firing off four aces in the competition.
Home bet Taylah Preston stands in the way of Eala’s first ever semis appearance in a WTA tiff. At the moment, Eala holds a 2-0 head-to-head advantage over the Aussie hitter.
Eala and Preston engage in the quarterfinals on Thursday, January 2, at a to be determined time.
Meanwhile, Eala’s initial match in the women’s doubles tournament with Japan’s Sayaka Ishii was cancelled.