Alex Eala +2 in WTA Rankings as she extends winning streak to six

Alex Eala has extended her unbeaten run to six matches after she kicked off her SP Open campaign with an impressive win over Yasmine Mansouri.

Fresh from winning her maiden WTA singles title at the second-tier Guadalajara 125 Open over the weekend, Eala returned to the top-tier WTA Tour and continued her winning streak with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Frenchwoman Mansouri in a contest that lasted only 76 minutes.

The 20-year-old, who became the first Filipino player to win a Grand Slam singles match with her opening-round win at the US Open, broke her opponent’s serve three times in the first set and twice in the second for the dominant win.

“This is my first time in Brazil and my first time in South America, actually, so I’m so happy to see that the crowd is so lively,” Eala, who is seeded third, said after the match.

“I didn’t expect so many people to come out and watch me play. I guess I was a bit lucky to be sandwiched in between two great Brazilians, so I’m just happy to be here and to be able to play well.”

Most of Tuesday’s celebrations at the Parque Villa-Lobos in Sao Paolo were reserved for Beatriz Hadda Maia as the top-seeded Brazilian delighted home fans with a 6-1, 6-1 win over qualifier Miriana Tona.

The SP Open is making its debut on the WTA Tour and it is the first top-level women’s tournament in Brazil since 2016.

On The Up In The Rankings

Eala, who has peaked at No 56 in the WTA Rankings, started the WTA 250 event in Brazil at No 61, but she has climbed two spots to No 59 in the Live Rankings with her win over Mansouri.

But a new career-high is waving at her as she could surge to No 55 if she wins her second-round encounter against Argentine Julia Riera, who is currently at No 188 in the Official WTA Rankings. The 23-year-old Riera defeated Vitalia Diatchenko in straight sets to book her round of 32.

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A run to the final could see Eala break into the top 50, but if she does make it to that stage, she will likely have to get past Janice Tjen in the quarter-final before a projected last-four clash against second seed Solana Sierra.

A title run could see her surge as high as No 42.

Eala, a graduate from the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, has already enjoyed several highs this year as she reached the semi-final of the WTA 1000 Miami Open before making her Grand Slam debut at Roland Garros.

After losing in the first round in Paris and at Wimbledon, her maiden win at the majors arrived at Flushing Meadows in New York.

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