World No. 137 Alex Eala restored order against the younger Sara Saito to move on in the Mumbai Open in India.
Filipino tennis player Alex Eala made sure to underscore her dominance this time as she faced off anew with Japan’s Sara Saito in the Round of 32 of the Mumbai Open in India on Monday.
After going to three sets just last week in Singapore, Eala flexed her experience on Saito, needing only an hour to dispose of her foe swiftly, 6-1, 6-0.
The 19-year-old, seeking a breakthrough win in a WTA tiff, was dominant from the get-go as she zoomed to a 4-1 lead in the first set and didn’t look back.
She then followed it up by blanking her opponent in the second set, 6-0, to move on to the Round of 16.
Eala hardly broke a sweat as she didn’t drop her serve in the two-set match.
She faces the winner between 6-seed Nao Hibono and Mai Hontama, both of Japan, in the next round slated on Wednesday.
Eala is also participating in the women’s doubles tournament in Mumbai.
She is partnered with Chinese Taipei’s Chia-yi Tsao.
They play their opening match against 2-seed Elena Pridankina and Amina Anshba in the Round of 16 on Tuesday.
Eala recently slipped from a career-high No. 134 ranking in the WTA to No. 137 after exiting the qualifiers of the Singapore Tennis Open.